


The Lost Puzzle Piece

by redfurredkitty



Series: Completing the Puzzle [1]
Category: Victorious (TV)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Angst, Bade - Freeform, Character Death, Cori friendship, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Pregnancy, Temporary Break Up, Unplanned Pregnancy, cabbie - Freeform, cade friendship, lots of flashbacks, tandre
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-30
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 17:40:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 43,069
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27790147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redfurredkitty/pseuds/redfurredkitty
Summary: Cat and Robbie have been dating for three years, however Cat suddenly finds herself alone when Robbie dies in an accident. Just when she thinks she might’ve found the light, things get a lot worse. Will she ever be the same without Robbie? Will the gang manage without him? Will Cat ever recover without Robbie?
Relationships: Andre Harris/Tori Vega, Beck Oliver/Jade West, Robbie Shapiro/Cat Valentine
Series: Completing the Puzzle [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2166138
Comments: 34
Kudos: 28





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This takes place a after they’ve all graduated, they are all about 21-23. Cat is more mature in this story because she is older, so she may seem a bit ooc.

_ “R-Robbie..”  _

Cat struggled to open her eyes, her senses all suddenly overwhelmed with the clean smell and bright lights of the room. Her eyes had a hard time adjusting to the light, however when they finally did, they revealed a very distraught looking Beck and a crying Jade, and a somber Andre holding an exhausted Tori. They each looked like they each cried a good amount of tears. Looking at them caused her brain to remember what put her in the hospital bed. __

_ Cat giggled as she watched Robbie sloppily open the car door for her, “My lady.” He spoke, bowing slightly as he allowed her to enter the car.  _

_ The pair had been dating for three years, deciding to give their relationship a shot after graduation. Since then, they had both been inseparable. They quickly moved into a small, one room studio apartment together. Cat grew up more and Robbie even decided to give Rex a break. However the two of them quickly became busy with Cat starting her career as a singer and Robbie as a comedian.  _

_ After weeks of hardly spending quality time together, they were finally going on a date. It was in celebration of Cat’s debut album becoming a number one and Robbie managing to sell all the tickets to his shows. This was the night Robbie planned on proposing to her, he knew he would never find someone like her. They were both very happy together and so in love that he saw that they didn’t have to wait any longer to go to the next step.  _

_ “What a gentleman.” Cat giggled as she watched him enter the car from the other side. The date he had planned was unknown to Cat, but she could already tell it was going to be a special one.  _

_ “Only the best for my queen.” He smiled at her as he began to start the car. Although he knew he didn’t have to(in fact she insisted he didn’t half the time), he knew that treating her like the goddess showed her just how much he loved her.  _

_ All he had told her was to dress nicely and be ready, he had rest covered. As much as she would insist that he didn’t have to do things like this, it always managed to make her heart swell with love. “You really didn’t have to do anything, you know, I’ll always love you.” She said after a few moments of small talk.  _

_ “I know,” Robbie chuckled, for once not being a nervous wreck, “But you album is a number one! I want to show you how proud I am, and how much I love you.” The ring in his pocket suddenly felt a whole lot heavier than before, but he knew he wouldn’t chicken out tonight.  _

_ “I love you.” Cat replied, “So much.” She looked at him, smiling at the sight of his hair being combed back and him in a suit. He was always so cute to her, no matter how much Jade teased her for loving him.  _

_ The car slowly stopped, pausing at the red light. “I love you too.” He smiled back at her, glancing at her to look at her pretty face for a moment. They looked at each other for a second, however in that second a truck started to serve in their direction. The brakes of the semi had broken, causing it to go in the direction of their car. Neither of them had a second to react before the truck slammed into the front of their car, causing everything for Cat to go black. The last thing she could remember was him calling her name.  _

_ “Cat!”  _

Before they even had time to explain the situation Cat spoke up, her voice dry and hoarse from the lack of use. “Robbie.” 

The gang looked at each other, frowning amongst themselves. “Cat-” Jade didn’t have time to speak before something within Cat snapped. Seeing all their expressions caused her to assume the worst. She began to struggle in her hospital bed. She started to tug and pull at each IV, desperate to leave the bed and find Robbie herself. Andre and Beck quickly jumped up and began to restrain her, yelling at the others to get help. “Cat calm down!”

“Where’s Robbie!?” She cried continuously, thrashing her limbs to try and leave the bed. Andre and Beck continued to try and calm her down, neither of them having the heart to tell her what happened. They struggled to hold her down until a group of doctors and nurses rushed into the room, a distraught Jade and Tori following closely behind. 

Without a second thought, the doctors quickly sedated her. Cat instantly began to calm down, watching everyone in the room slowly calm down as she struggled to stay awake. She fought the inevitable slumber that quickly took over her, “Rob..” she managed to mumble before she fell into another deep slumber. 

Jade fell into Becks arms and, although she would later deny it, began to cry again. Watching her best friend suffer hurt to see, especially knowing the full story. Beck hugged her, rubbing slow circles into her back as he whispered sweet nothings in her ear. Andre collapsed into the chair with a heavy sigh, Tori falling into the chair right next to him. Neither of them had the energy or heart to say anything. 

They had all been at the hospital for nearly a day, it had felt like forever since Jade has gotten that fateful phone call. Cat’s parents had abandoned her since she had turned the age of 18, deciding to care completely for her brother. And with her nonna being old and unable to leave the retirement home, Jade was the first number on her emergency contacts list. 

Jade and Beck were the first to arrive at the hospital, on the speedy and most likely illegal drive there, they called Tori and Andre. Urging them to come quick. Since then, they had all cried at the news of what happened and stayed by Cat’s side. They all wanted to be there to comfort her when she found out the news. The news of Robbie's death. 


	2. A Terrible Joke

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang breaks the news to Cat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there’s a little bit of Cade for you cade shippers!

_“Is she going to be okay?”_

_“She only received a mild concussion from what we believe, we didn’t feel the need to run any tests. She should be leaving as soon as she wakes up.”_

_“Thank god.”_

Cat struggled to focus on all the voices inside the room, her eyes blurred from the bright lights. She could hardly make out Jade holding her hand while Beck was talking to someone who she believed to be a doctor. She tried to sit up but only let out a pained groan, causing everyone in the room to immediately look in her direction. “Cat!” Tori yelped, quickly rushing to the side of her bed. 

Cat had a hard time getting comfortable, especially with her muscles being so stiff from being in bed so long. “You’re finally awake.” sighed a relieved Jade, who was still holding Cat’s hand. 

The doctor in the room cleared his throat, causing all the attention to go to him. “Miss Valentine, you were in an accident. You’re currently in the hospital, but gladly you only have a small concussion. We felt no need to run any tests. You should be getting released as soon as possible. I’ll send a nurse in here to get you discharged.” 

Cat weakly nodded at his words, bothered with the tone of the doctor. It was almost as if he was babying her or as if he was hiding something from her. It made her want to scream at him, but before she could even speak, he left. The smarter side of her believed it to be pretty darn unprofessional, but she hardly had time to think before her friends were hugging her. 

“I’m so glad you’re okay!” Tori cried, hugging her tightly. “Don’t do that again.” Jade whispered, resting her head in the bar of the bed. Andre and Beck just smiled, finding that they didn’t need to say anything. 

“Where’s Robbie?” Cat questioned, ignoring their previous comments. She only wanted to make sure he was okay. She wanted him to be okay. She _needed_ him to be okay. 

“Cat-”

“Where’s Robbie? Is he okay?” Cat questioned, her voice hardly above a whisper and her face tilted downward. 

The rest of the gang paused, all looking at her somberly. None of them had the heart to break hers. They all knew she’d be crushed if she knew the truth, Jade was the first to speak up. “Cat, do you remember what happened?” she questioned, an unnatural soft edge to her voice. 

“Where is he? At least tell me he’s okay!” Cat was beginning to get desperate for a solid answer, she knew they were avoiding telling her. Especially when they all looked at each other instead of answering her question. “Where is he?! Tell me he’s okay! He’s okay, right! Andre tell me he’s okay!” Cat cried, tears softly fell from her eyes. 

Cat began to cry harder when they all avoided looking at her. “Beck? Tori? Jade? Just tell me he’s okay, please.” She sniffled, looking at them desperately. 

This quickly caused Tori to start crying again, she turned to Andre and fell into his arms. Cat turned to Jade, begging for an answer as more tears fell from her eyes. Jade glanced at Beck for a moment to receive permission, he only nodded slightly. “Cat,” Jade started, grabbing Cat’s other hand and holding them close, “He didn’t make it.” 

Much to their surprise, she didn’t react the way they were expecting. She just blankly stared at Jade, tears emotionlessly rolling down her cheeks. “What do you mean he didn’t make it? W-What’s that supposed to mean?” She questioned, her voice shaking with emotion. 

“He died before the ambulance got there, Cat, they weren’t able to save him.” Beck added from behind Jade, his arms crossed as he looked out the window. Robbie was one of his best friends, it hurt to know he died, but it hurt even more to have to tell Cat. She was like his little sister, and everyone knew how much Cat and Robbie loved each other. Most of her debut album were love songs dedicated to him. 

Cat quickly began to shake her head, “No, no, n-no. This is some kind of joke! Please tell me your kidding! Jadey tell me this is one of your very mean jokes!” She cried, unable to hold back her tears. She gripped Jade’s hands like vice, searching for any kind of lie within her words. 

Tears softly began to fall from Jades blue eyes, she struggled to look her best friend in the eye. “Cat.. please.” She murmured, holding Cat’s hands and shaking them softly. 

Cat quickly pulled her hands away like they were burned, she pulled herself into a tight ball and began to cry harder. “It’s not f-funny,” she cried, struggling to catch her breath, “Robbie please come out, the prank’s over. Y-you got me!” She pushed her face into her knees, refusing to come out unless Robbie was there. 

Time had passed and they all failed at trying to get to calm down. Jade tried to uncharacteristically hug her, to which Cat only pushed her away, wanting only to be in Robbie’s arms. Beck even tried to comfort her with his touch, but it only made her cry harder. Andre just stood there silently, still mourning his lost friend and unable to find any comforting words. 

Tori gently removed herself from Andre’s arms, moving across the room to a small box that sat on the small table. She carefully placed it in front of Cat, “Cat,” Tori cried, tears rolling down her cheeks, “The police found this in his pocket.” 

Cat slowly looked up, hoping to find anything that would mean Robbie isn’t actually gone. However the sobs that racked her body only became stronger when she looked at the small velvet box in front of her. She could hardly see anything through the tears in her eyes, but she could clearly see what the box was. A ring. 

Her shaky hands reached for the box, part of her scared to touch it in case it would disappear. She held her breath, pausing her cries for a moment, just to open the box. But as soon as she opened the box, which revealed a gorgeous wedding ring, the cry that escaped her lips was louder than the rest. Everyone else in the room was crying with her, they could feel her pain. Tori was pressed up against Andre, her face in his chest. Beck was hugging Jade from the back as she watched Cat, struggling to stay silent through her tears. 

Cat gently grabbed the ring, and with a shaky hand put it on her ring finger. “I-It’s not fair!” She sobbed, holding her hands in a fist against her chest. 

Andre was the first to speak up this time, his skin was paler than usual. “Lil’ Red, it’s just how life is.” He said, his voice like if he were talking to a child. 

“No, no! We w-were supposed to be forever!” She cried, rocking herself quickly, “We were g-going to get mar-married and he was going to be a c-comedian! Then w-we were going to start a fam-family!” 

Tori, unable to handle the sadness of the situation, left to find a nurse. “I-I’m going to get those discharge papers.” 

Cat, hardly able to speak through the sobs that racked her body, decided to stop trying to speak and just cry. Her nose was already running and her eyes were big and puffy. This caused Jade to stretch out arms, wincing before she spoke, “Want a hug?” 

Although part of Cat wanted to deny her offer once more for the fact that she wasn’t Robbie. She just wanted to be held by someone, and right now it was impossible for that someone to be Robbie. She gave a weak cough before barely nodding. 

Jade barely had a chance to hug Cat before Cat shot herself into Jade’s arms. “woah!” Cat instantly began to cry again as soon as she was in Jade’s arms. Her head rested in the crook of Jade’s neck and Jade wrapped her arms around Cat’s tiny frame. Cat’s small hands gripped the material of Jade’s shirt tightly as she tried her best to speak through her sobs. “It’s not fair.” Cat hiccuped, her tears staining Jade’s shirt, “I would’ve said yes.” 

“I know baby girl.” Jade whispered, rubbing slow circles into Cat’s back. 

Jade continued to hold Cat as she cried, her cries slowly becoming weaker as she cried herself out. By the time she had officially cried herself to sleep in Jade’s arms was when Tori returned with the go ahead to bring Cat home. 


	3. The Last Two Standing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Beck and Jade bring Cat home, she has a rough time alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> probably not my best chapter tbh i was bit too lazy to read over it and correct any mistakes so i apologize for any right now

“C’mon, let’s bring her home.” Beck sighed, his hands in his pockets. 

Jade nodded, her arms still wrapped around Cat’s sleeping form. “Let’s all just meet up at Cat’s place, she’s going to need us when she wakes up.”

Everyone else just nodded, tired of watching Cat still shake and cry in her sleep. They hardly ever seen Cat cry before, she was always happy, but now it seemed like she’d never be happy again. 

After the gang had split, Jade with Beck, who were bringing Cat, and Tori with Andre, they all drove to Cat’s apartment. The car ride to Cat’s home was silent except for the small whimpers from Cat every so often. 

Once they parked, Cat slowly woke up. She didn’t make an effort to get up, too heartbroken to move. She didn’t want to believe it was the truth. There was no way he could really be gone, he had always been there for her. Ever since they met, which was many years ago, he always had her back. The one time he needed her, she failed him. 

She began to cry at the thought, he didn’t even die on impact. That meant that he suffered all alone while she was unconscious. He was hurting, scared, and alone while she wasn’t. She was completely fine, while he wasn’t. It didn’t take long for hard sobs to rock her body. 

“Would you look at that,” Jade said, trying to lighten the mood, “Andre and Tori are already here.” 

Cat made a noise in response, her head resting against the window as she cried. Beck sighed, noticing how Cat was in no state to be walking on her own. 

He moved out of the car before making his way to her door. He carefully opened her door before grabbing her like a small child. He placed her arms around his neck and held her up by her thighs. He was nearly choking with how tight Cat held onto him. But he ignored it when he heard her cries. 

While Beck carried Cat, she was having a small breakdown. She hated the feel of his strong neck, it almost made her want to laugh. Everyone always assumed Robbie was frail and weak, but only she would know that he really had more muscle than he gave off. It began to make her cry again, she wanted so badly to open her eyes and see that it wasn’t Beck holding her and that it was Robbie holding her. Deep down she knew it would never be like that. Even though it had hardly been a day with Robbie, it felt like years. She secretly wished that when they opened the door to her house that Robbie would be there sitting on the couch, ready to laugh at her for getting so worked up. 

Beck easily held Cat up, her light body almost being too easy to carry. He followed Jade as she led the way to Cat’s apartment, both of them deciding to stay quiet. 

Jade silently opened the door, causing Tori and Andre to jump up from the couch. “How is she?” 

Their question was answered by the sound of her sobs as she gripped Beck’s neck. Tori winced at the sight, quickly sitting next to Cat as soon as Beck placed her down on their long couch. Cat hugged her knees, crying into her arms. “Everything’s going to be fine, Cat.” Tori said gently while placing a careful hand on her shoulder. 

Cat instantly looked up at Tori as if she was crazy, “It’s not!” She cried, throwing her hands up in the air, “You have Andre,” This caused both Tori and Andre to blush, both feeling like it would be stupid to deny it now, “And Jade has Beck! I have n-nobody.” 

Jade glared at Tori while she went over to Cat, she crouched down to Cats height, placing a gentle hand on her knee. She sighed roughly before she spoke, embarrassed for her words before they were even spoken. “Cat, you still have Robbie. You still love him and he  _ definitely  _ still loves you. It’ll just be a little while before you can be with each other.” 

Cat stared at Jade with puffy eyes before turning away, “I just want to be alone.” she mumbled quietly, hugging her knees tightly. 

Jade nodded, knowing they shouldn’t leave Cat alone for too long in case she something stupid. “Ok, We’ll leave to grab some dinner.” She said, the rest of them nodding along. 

Cat made a small noise in acknowledgement, not lifting her head to see them leave. It hurt to see the others being lovey doves at all because she wanted nothing more than to just see Robbie, nevermind hugging or kissing him. 

After everyone had been gone for at least five minutes she finally decided to get up. She carefully walked over to the nearest picture frame, bursting out into a sob at the picture. It was a picture from their graduation, it was almost immediately after Robbie had asked Cat out. They were both still blushing in the photo that Tori took, Robbie always said he loved that photo, it reminded him that Cat chose him over any other guy. 

Cat grabbed the photo with her shaky hands, struggling to see it through her watery eyes. She tried to hold back her tears, but that only made them stronger when they came back. She cried out when she dropped the photo, causing the glass to shatter directly where Robbie's face was. 

She yelped at the crash of the frame, noticing how it echoed in the silence of the house. Tears slipped down her cheeks, it was never quiet with Robbie home. He was always joking around and making her laugh, now it just felt wrong. She took three shaky steps backward before escaping into their, now her, bedroom. The sight of his unkempt bed sheets caused a sob to rip from her throat. She remembered constantly bickering at him to make his side of the bed, even though he never did. 

Her hand shot up to her mouth to try and stop her cries from being so loud but she couldn’t help it, it just wasn’t fair. He had so much ahead of him, like the family they were going to start. 

The idea of him being a comedian quickly reminded Cat of someone important. Someone who deserved to know Robbie died.

She tore through their closet, looking for a brown cardboard box that would soon mean the world to her. Once she found it she did not waste a second, quickly sitting down on the bed and ripping it open. She gripped the small puppet in a tight hug, tears slipping from her eyes as she looked down at it. 

“Rex,” she whimpered, wanting nothing more than to hear him say something about her being dumb or Robbie being a nerd, “it’s just you and me now.” 

She stared at Rex, silently waiting for him to say something, say anything. When he didn’t move she carefully slipped her hand into the doll, gently opening his mouth. The only thing that managed to escape its mouth was a sob that escaped Cat, unable to bear a world without Robbie. 

She collapsed onto Robbies side of the bed, curling into a small ball while hugging Rex close to her chest. She took a deep breath, taking in the scent of Robbie that lingered on their bed sheets before crying again. It didn’t take long for her heavy sobs to become light ones as cried herself to sleep in a sideways fetal position, curled into the bed sheets with Rex held close. 


	4. Cold Nights Were Made for the Lonely

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang finally realizes just how much Cat has been affected by Robbie’s death.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long, i’ve had the idea of what to do, just not how to put it, if you know what i mean? sorry if it’s a little short
> 
> Well anyways, there’s a little bit of almost every ship, u may have to squint for some. Bade, Cade, Cori, Cabbie, Tandre, just for the some of y’all that might not ship the main ships

The remaining members of the gang entered Cat’s dark home, noticing how all the lights were off, it looked devoid of any life. “We’re back!” Jade shouted only to be met by silence. 

“Hey guys,” Andre spoke, waving all of them over to him, “Look at this.” He pointed at the broken picture frame, pointing out how the glass was still splattered all over the ground. 

Jade’s heart sank at the sight of the shattered glass, without a second thought she dropped her bags, causing Andre to shout about his chinese food, and rushed into Cat’s room. “Cat!” 

Jade quickly quieted down when she saw that Cat was sleeping, she carefully walked over the side of the bed, watching Cat peacefully sleep. She nearly shed a tear when she noticed that Cat was cuddling with Rex, it didn’t take long for her to also notice how sickly Cat looked. It had barely been two days, but Cat had gone both days crying without eating or drinking. Her hair was also a red tangled mess, she really needed to shower. 

“Hey, Cat,” Jade whispered, gently rubbing her back to wake her up, “Wakey wakey.” She inwardly cringed at her use of words, but she’d do anything for Cat. 

However Cat only hugged Rex tighter, shaking her head quickly. She whimpered something in disagreement before attempting to fall back asleep. 

“Cat, you haven’t eaten in two days,” Jade was beginning to get impatient with Cat. Of course she felt pity for her, but she had already slept the last couple days away. She was partly shocked the girl could still sleep! 

“Jadeyyyy,” Cat mumbled, her eyes flinching at the light of the room, “I don’t feel so good.” 

“It’s because you haven’t eaten,” Jade said, patting Cat’s back a little rougher, “Let’s get this little kitty some food!” Jade flinched at her own words, she felt stupid using pet names. 

“I don’t wanna.” Cat whimpered, sniffling into the pillow. 

“Robbie wouldn’t want to see you like this.” Jade felt dirty pulling the Robbie card, but she knew it would work. 

“Jadeyy.” Cat whimpered, slowly rising from the bed. 

Jade began to walk towards the door, “Now come on, we brought chinese food.” 

The two of them walked into the living, Cat still hugging Rex tightly. Seeing Cat with Rex caused Tori to smile sadly, “Hey Cat!” she greeted, sitting up from her spot right next to Andre. 

It had taken a bit more pushing but Cat had finished eating, now they were all sitting around the coffee table and talking about Robbie. Cat was mainly listening, too sad to speak and too tired to cry anymore. 

“Remember when he named our fundraiser Tinkle-aid?” Beck chuckled, his arm around Jade. 

Most of them laughed, “Yeah, you all were too focused on Moose.” Andre added, pointing to the three girls. 

Tori chuckled, embarrassed of her younger self. “In our defense he was hot!” 

“I totally beat you two though.” Jade chimed in. 

Cat tried to find it funny but it only made her feel worse, Robbie had loved her for so long and she ignored him. He watched her chase after so many guys and sat by the sidelines. It hurt because she knew she would’ve been crushed instantly if Robbie dated another girl. This caused something to stir deep in her gut, making her feel nauseous. She turned to Jade, softly pulling on her sleeve. “Jadey, I don’t feel so good.” 

Before Jade even had the chance to tell her she was fine Cat quickly jumped up and ran to the bathroom, leaving Rex behind. The rest of them cringed at the sound of her retching, it was clear that anything she had eaten just came right back out. 

Jade sighed softly before grabbing Tori and dragging her to the bathroom with her. They both frowned at the sight of Cat crying by the toilet, “Cat..” Neither of them really knew what to say, Jade had hoped Tori would’ve been able to say at least something. 

Cat silently sobbed while looking the ring on her finger, she now felt awful for wearing it. It was like she didn’t deserve it anymore, Robbie deserved so much better than her. To think, he wanted to marry her. 

Jade and Tori were silently arguing with each other, trying to decide who would comfort Cat. ‘Your better with words!’ Jade mouthed to Tori, Tori quickly snapped back, ‘You guys are closer!’. Jade growled at Tori before sitting down next to Cat, who was still perched next to the toilet in case she wasn’t finished. “You wanna talk about it?” Jade questioned, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. 

Cat’s sobs quickly erupted with sound, “I didn’t deserve him!” She cried, “I dated so many boys before him! He loved me for so long and I knew!” 

Her outburst caused Tori to flinch and Jade to frown, neither of them even had time for input before Cat continued. “I was scared to ruin our relationship! I broke his heart so many times and yet he still loved me! I don’t deserve to be here! He should be here! Not me! I deserved to die, not him!” 

Without hesitating Jade grabbed onto Cat and slapped her. Cat gasped at the pain that shot through her cheek, her tears stilled for a moment as she looked Jade in the eye. Jade’s eyes were watering, “Don’t say that!” Jade snapped, her voice shaking with emotion, “Robbie would be ashamed of you right now.” 

Cat began to cry once more, this time Jade pulled her into her arms, causing Cat to hug her back tightly. “I-I’m sorry.” She cried. She buried her face into the crook of Jade’s neck as Jade tried her best not to look weak in front of Tori. 

The boys quickly burst through the door, both of them rushing in at the sound of the slap that echoed through the rooms of the house. They both assumed that it was Jade that smacked Tori, most likely about something she could’ve said. “Don’t kill Tori!” “I’m sure she didn’t mean it-” 

Both guys paused when they saw Tori perfectly fine and standing beside the sink while Jade was hugging Cat as she was a blubbering mess. Jade was sitting directly on the ground while Cat was sitting on her lap, both of them directly next to the toilet. “I miss him so much.” Cat sobbed loudly, Jade softly petting her hair for comfort. 

Beck and Andre both stared at Tori confused, Tori just shrugged in response. They believed they knew how hard Robbie’s death had affected Cat, but now it seemed like this wasn’t even the tip of the iceberg. They all watched as Jade tried to soothe Cat’s pain, each of their hearts breaking at the sound of her sobs. 

“It hurts s-so much!” She clearly was having a hard time catching a full breath of air between her cries. 

“I know.” Jade replied softly, tears of her own softly dripping down her cheeks. She softly rubbed Cat’s back, trying to ease her sobs. 

“I just want him to be h-here.” 

“I know.” 

“It’s n-not fair.” 

“I know..” 


	5. Dreams Are a Wish Your Heart Makes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cats dreams of her life with Robbie, Robbie has a small message to her from the afterlife.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if it’s a little short, i’m just kinda winging it rn

It had taken a bit of time, but they managed to get Cat to shower and put her bed. It felt like they were dealing with a child, a broken child, but a child nonetheless. Now most of them sat on the couches around the coffee table, while Jade was currently with Cat. They all assumed that she had just gone to sleep with Cat while trying to put her to bed. Tori sat next to Andre, resting her head on his shoulder while Beck sat on the lovers seat alone. 

“I never knew how much I’d miss him.” Tori blurted out, breaking the silence that had overcome them. 

“He really was a good guy.” Andre rubbed his hand over Tori’s shoulder, pulling her closer to him. She snuggled into him, tears slowly dripping down her cheeks. 

“He’s in a better place right now, just one without Cat.” Beck sighed sadly, shuddering softly at his words, Cat and Robbie were the book definition of soulmates, it hurt to see them separated. “It feels like he’s been gone forever.” Beck added, shaking his head softly. 

“These have been the longest days of my life.” Andre chuckled, but it was a pain filled chuckle that just caused the rest of the nod in agreement. 

They all let the silence take over them again, the only sound heard were sniffles from Tori. They all felt guilty for not appreciating Robbie, they all, besides Cat of course, constantly made fun of him. It was the group dynamic, they were all used to it. 

“Well, we oughta get to sleep. I’m sure Cat’s going to need us tomorrow.” Beck said after the pregnant silence. 

Andre and Tori, nodded in agreement. Within thirty minutes, each one of them were fast asleep, each catching some much needed Z’s. Tori fell asleep in Andre’s arms, both cuddled up on the long couch. Beck was sleeping on the lovers seat, sprawled out with each limb facing a different direction. 

_ “Hey, Cat.”  _

_ Cat had a hard time adjusting her eyes, but when she managed to she instantly cried out. “Robbie!”  _

_ She ran towards him full speed, almost knocking him down with the force of her hug. He twirled her around, causing them both to laugh together. After a couple seconds of laughter, he pulled her into a tight hug, resting her head on his shoulder. She immediately burst into tears at the feel of his arms around her and the scent of cologne. “Hey, hey! No need to cry.” He said softly, putting a hand on her cheek and pulling her gaze towards him.  _

_ “I can’t help it,” she cried, her eyes scanning his face, burning it into her memory, “I’ve missed you so much.”  _

_ “I know.” He chuckled, his hand resting beneath her chin.  _

_ They stared each other in the eye, words failing them. It felt like the first time they discovered they loved each other. She wrapped her arms around his neck while he moved his hands to hold her waist. Without hesitating, unlike his younger self, Robbie pulled Cat’s lips towards his, pulling her into a much needed sweet kiss. It caused Cat to go weak in the knees, but he had always had that effect on her.  _

_ When he pulled back from the kiss, Cat stared at him directly. Searching any sign of a lie, that maybe he didn’t love her. But she quickly found nothing, just the same loving gaze staring back at her. They rested their foreheads against one another, looking at one another lovingly.“I love you.” She whispered, getting lost in his chocolate gaze, “So much.”  _

_ Robbie smiled back at her, his gaze falling to her lips. She blushed softly before leaning in for another kiss, chasing that feeling that appeared when they were together. It didn’t take long for them to get heated, if Robbie hadn’t been holding onto her, her knees would’ve definitely failed her when she felt his tongue softly press against hers. In only a couple seconds it quickly became a heated battle of tongues, only separating when they both needed to catch their breath.  _

_ Robbie rested his head on Cat’s shoulder, his small, quick breathes caused a chill to go down her spine. She gasped when she felt him softly kiss her neck, her fingers becoming tangled in his black mess of curls. “I...Love..You…” He said between the small kisses, slowly drifting up and down her neck.  _

_ Cat closed her eyes and enjoyed the feeling of him being with her. She almost forgot the heartbreak of being without him, but was quickly reminded when she opened her eyes and noticed he was slowly fading. “Robbie!” She cried, attempting to hug him tightly only for her hands to glide right through him. “Don’t go! Don’t leave me again!”  _

_ Robbie smiled sadly at her, “I’m with you two always.” His hand softly rested on her cheek, wiping away her lone tear.  _

_ Cat didn’t think to question him, her shaky hand reached for his cheek. Softly caressing his fading face, “I love you.” She whimpered, her tears coming faster as he disappeared completely.  _

_ “I love you more.”  _

“Robbie!” Cat cried out, breaking the silence of the sleeping house hold. Tears were racing down her cheeks, her chest physically hurting at the pain of not having Robbie with her. 

Jade was woken up by the sound of Cat’s yelling, she groggily turned to Cat to see what was up to. “Huh?” 

Cat suddenly felt sick to her stomach, shooting up from her spot in the bed and running to the bathroom. Jade groaned loudly before following into the bathroom, standing by the doorframe of the bathroom as she watched Cat empty the contents of her stomach into the toilet bowl. By the time she was dry heaving into the bowl Jade was rubbing her back. “Are you done?” 

Cat softly shook her head, her knuckles white as she gripped the toilet seat. She continued to puke, struggling to get a deep breath of air. “How can you even still be going, you’ve hardly even eaten?” Jade said, obviously confused on what Cat was even doing at this point. 

“I don’t know!” She coughed out, gulping down air when she could. 

Jade sighed, helping Cat by holding up her hair. She cringed every time she gagged or choked, giving small  _ ‘let it all out’ _ s and  _ ‘You’re doing good’ _ s every now and then. 

“Hey.” Tori murmured, peeking out from the entrance of the room, “We, uh, heard you from the living room. I thought you might need some water.” 

Cat struggled to get a grasp on herself, it taking her a minute or to finally get control of her own breathing. “Thank you.” she coughed out before weakly reaching for the cup of water. 

She managed to gulp down the water quickly, almost gagging at the awful taste in her mouth. She cleared out her throat before placing her empty cup down, “Thank you both, I mean.” She corrected, giving Jade a weak smile, frowning softly afterwards. 

“Baby girl, we can’t keep doing this.” Jade spoke, flabbergasted by the girls ability to vomit. 

“What even happened?” Tori questioned, resting on the counter. 

Cat looked up at Tori before quickly looking away sadly, quickly remembering her dream. “I had a dream… with Robbie.” She whimpered, hugging herself weakly. 

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jade asked, tapping her foot quietly against the tile floor. 

Cat blushed at the memory of the kisses, she was always a bit shy when it came to couple like things. Surprisingly, it was always Robbie who took charge, almost always being the one to initiate the first kiss. Cat’s eyes watered as she thought about the rest of the dream, “He just told me he loved me and would be there for the two of us, always.”

Jade and Tori stared at each other confused. “You and who? Rex?” Jade laughed at her comment while Tori hit her roughly on the shoulder, “Did anything else happen?” 

Cat rubbed her shoulders for comfort, hugging herself tighter. “He was fading away like a picture, it was scary. Scarier than Jade.” She murmured, looking down at her feet. 

Tori looked at her with pity, walking over to her and placing a hand on her shoulder. “Let’s get you cleaned up and get you some breakfast.” 


	6. Lost Without You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang completely forgets their fame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Probably a shorter chapter, sorry!

Everyone sat around the coffee table, an uncomfortable silence settling through the room. Andre and Tori sat on the lovers seat, Andre awkwardly sipping his coffee as Tori sat as far away from him as she could. Neither of them had the heart to act like a couple around Cat, afraid it might hurt her. Beck, Jade, and Cat were sitting on the long couch. Jade was leaning into Beck, softly sipping her coffee while Cat clutched onto Rex in the corner. 

The time would come when one of them would try and start up a conversation, opening their mouth but quickly closing it after no words came to mind. Cat’s random sniffles seemed to echo throughout the room, shaking the others to their core. “How about we turn on the TV?” Tori questioned, carefully reaching for the remote. 

Beck and Andre agreed, nodding their heads in agreement while Jade just mumbled something in agreement. Cat didn’t respond, only staring straight ahead, seemingly lost in her own world. This concerned them completely, especially after they were unable to get her to eat without her throwing up again. She seemed to get sick at even the smallest smell of food. They all assumed it was from her grief, she was probably too sad to eat anyway. 

“O-okay.” Tori slowly turned the television on, the channel quickly appearing to the news. They all sat in silence as the news channel played the last night's latest news, something about a new movie. It didn’t interest them all that much. On the other hand, Cat was struggling to hold back her tears. She quickly remembered why the tv was still set to the news instead of the normal cartoons she’d watch. 

_ Robbie sat in front of the television with a smile plastered on his face. He was watching the News station show his girlfriends latest success. ‘Cat Valentine’s new single enters the billboard at number one!’ _

_ Cat walked into the room, sitting next to Robbie while looking at the tv confused. “Since when do you watch the news?” She questioned, laying her head on his shoulder.  _

_ He didn’t waste a second before wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close. “Ever since the greatest girlfriend in the world started to appear.” He whispered in her ear, successfully sending a chill down her spine.  _

Cat quickly wiped away her tears, hugging Rex even tighter. She never realized just how much Rex looked like Robbie. They shared the same curly hair and brown eyes. Nor did she ever think that Rex would ever become such a lifeline for her. He reminded her so much of Robbie that it pained her, physically. And it wasn’t the good pain like jade would say. But somehow she couldn’t manage to let him go. Now she understood why Robbie carried him around so much, she couldn’t bear to let him go. 

Cat was snapped out of her thoughts when the  _ ‘BREAKING NEWS’  _ logo appeared on screen, everyone in the room becoming quickly intrigued with whatever story would play.  _ ‘BREAKING NEWS! Actor and comedian Robbie Shapiro has just died in a freak accident! Leaving singer Cat Valentine devastated!’ _

It took no longer than a couple seconds for Cat to burst into tears, crying at the images of her and Robbie being shown. “Turn it off!” Jade shouted, quickly snapping at Tori. 

Tori began to stumble, struggling to grasp the remote before turning it off. “I’m trying!” She called back, The last thing shown on the tv being a picture of Beck carrying a broken Cat into her home two days ago before the screen turned black. 

Cat sobbed silently, struggling to breathe steadily at the news. They had all forgotten about the whole being famous aspect. It didn’t even cross any of their minds that there might’ve been paparazzi following them. Cat and Robbie were literally famous for being such a cute couple, Cat was at everyone one of his shows and he was at every single one of her concerts or performances. Now the whole world knew they’d been separated. “How did they even find out?!” Jade was clearly frustrated, she knew Cat was barely holding up as it was, now with all eyes on her Jade was afraid that Cat would break completely. 

“They must’ve followed us home from the hospital.” Beck commented, shaking his head in frustration. 

“How the heck would they have even known? And where did they get those details? We haven’t even told anyone?” Andre questioned, by now everyone but Cat had gotten up from their seats and were by the table. 

“You guys didn’t tell anyone, right?” Jade pointed directly at Tori, clearly directing her question at her. 

“Of course I didn’t! I haven’t even been on my phone!” Tori shot back, hurt that Jade would even think that way. 

“Well someone did!” Jade shouted, her hands pulling her hair from anger. 

“We can agree it wasn’t one of us.” Beck stated, putting his hands up in defeat. 

“How do we know that?!” Jade yelled back, looking at the others. 

“I think we can trust each other!” 

“What if it was Andre?!” 

“Why would I even tell anyone?!” 

It didn’t take long for them all to irrupt into useless arguing, each one of the screaming louder to be heard over someone else. To Cat, it just sounded like meaningless shouting. She never did good in these situations, she often fainted. When she began to feel lightheaded, it went straight into her gut. It caused her to feel like throwing up once more, but she was tired of it. “Guys?” Cat tried to cut into the argument but was quickly ignored. “Guys?” She tried again, a bit louder than the last. 

“It wasn’t me, I swear!” Tori shouted in defense.

“How are we supposed to believe you! You’re probably jealous of her career! That’s why you-” Jade quickly interrupted by Cat, who now had fat tears rolling down her cheeks. 

“Guys!” she cried loudly, successfully shutting them all up, “You’re not helping anyone!” 

They all looked at Cat, quite shocked to hear her yell. “It doesn’t matter how they found out! At the end of the day Robbie is still gone and I might be p-pregnant.” Cat whispered at the end, her voice cracking from the tears she was holding back. 

The silence that came afterwards was almost deadly, sending a chill down their spines. None of them knew what to say as Cat broke down in tears, falling back onto the couch. 

“And all you guys seem to care about is the news.” Cat cried, her head resting in her hands as her shoulders shook with tears. 

This time Jade didn’t move to comfort Cat, too shocked to even move. Seeing this, Tori decided that she should go. 

Step by step, she carefully approached Cat. “Cat, why do you think you’re pregnant?” Tori placed a gentle hand on her back, rubbing soothing circles. 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Cat sobbed, unable to look up in shame, “I keep feeling so sick and b-bloated all the time. And I’m late.” 

Andre looked confused, “What does late mean?” 

Tori quickly shot him a look before looking back at Cat, she suddenly felt incredibly stupid. At this point it seemed obvious. Cat hadn’t been able to keep any food down and was constantly waking up in the mornings and running straight to the toilet. “Cat, everything is going to be fine.” Tori whispered in a voice that would normally be used for a baby.

“It’s not! You guys all act like everything is going to be fine when it’s not!” Tori flinched and jumped back at Cat’s outburst, causing Cat to feel terrible. She looked at the others and noticed how they too seemed scared of her, like they were scared of saying the wrong thing. Her tears came back even stronger, causing her to messily wipe them away with her sleeve. “N-nevermind, I’m just g-going to bed.” 

With that, Cat lifted herself from the couch, making sure to grab Rex, and into her bedroom. She shakily closed the door and collapsed onto Robbie’s side of the bed with Rex in tow before beginning to cry her eyes out. She now felt completely misunderstood, none of them could possibly begin to understand her pain. 

Not only was Robbie gone, but now she worried that she’d have to raise a child alone. The thought made her body shake with sobs. Robbie had always been so excited at the thought of being a father, now he’d be forced to miss out on that. That made Cat’s heart break even more. 

Cat’s departure left the room completely silent, none of them even looked at each other. Most of their eyes glued to their shoes. They were all guilty of assuming that Cat would be fine. They all believed that she’d be able to recover quickly and be fine. None of them realized just how much it really affected Cat. “We’re awful people.” Tori mumbled, her head shaking as it rested in her hands. 

They all nodded, all of them falling onto the couch in defeat. They all officially felt terrible for almost always brushing off Cat’s feelings with a ‘ _ it’s going to be fine _ ’ when clearly now, nothing was going to be fine. 

“I didn’t even know Cat and Robbie did  _ it. _ ” 

“Jade!” 

“What?” 


	7. New Recruit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade and Tori go get Cat’s Nonna in hopes of cheering her up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if these chapters start to take a while to come out, I really just kind of write these when I’m bored(which is a lot but you get what I mean).

It had almost been an entire day since Cat had locked herself in her room, her loud sobs echoed through the house until she had finally cried herself to sleep. At least that’s what they all assumed she’d done, she hadn’t allowed any of them to enter the room. Not even Jade. They were all concerned for Cat, she had even refused any offers of food. Meaning she hadn’t had a full meal in at least a week.

The only thing other than crying that Cat did was post an update to Splashface and theSlap. They all almost cried when they saw it, much like most of her fans if you read the comments. It was a picture of Robbie smiling at the camera with a short description. The description read:  _ “I always wanted to be Cat Shapiro one day. Please come back, I need you.” _

“What do we do now?” Andre questioned, slumped down on the couch. 

“What do you mean what do we do now? Robbie died and left his spawn inside Cat, there’s pretty much nothing we can do!” Jade growled, staring daggers at Andre. 

Tori held her hand up, catching their attention, “We don’t even know if she’s pregnant yet. It could all just be a coincidence.” 

Everyone looked at Tori like she was an idiot, even Beck. Tori, knowing she was just trying to make the situation better than it was, sighed and slumped backwards. “Wait,” Beck sat up, getting the rest of them to stare at him, “What about her Nonna? Can’t she know what to do?” 

“Beck’s right, why don’t we just pick up a pregnancy test and then go get her grandmother?” Tori questioned, causing them to nod in agreement. 

“I don’t see how anything else would work.” Andre shrugged, running a hand through his braided hair. 

With a hefty sigh, Jade lifted herself from the couch. “Tori come on, I’m not going into the store to buy the tests.” 

Tori mumbled in protest before they both left, leaving Andre and Beck to watch Cat. 

As soon as Cat had barged into their room, she switched out of her outfit and into a pair of shorts and Robbie’s oversized t-shirt. She wanted to get that feeling of Robbie being with her. His scent still lingered on the shirt, comforting her endlessly.

Cat hugged Rex tightly as she scrolled through her phone, unable to keep herself from looking on her phone. She wanted to see what they were saying about Robbie, especially after her post caused ‘#riprobbieshapiro’ to trend. She cried as their fans posted multiple pictures of them together, in all of them he was smiling. Many other celebrities also posted their condolences, some of which Robbie would totally have fangirled about. 

She even gained the habit of telling Rex what she saw, “Look, Robbie would’ve loved to see this.” she whimpered, pointing to a mourning post from a comedian that Robbie looked up to. 

After a while she couldn’t bear to see any more and tossed her phone to the other side of the bed. She only felt like crying now. The room was so dark, cold, and gloomy. Especially without Robbie.

All this attention scared the daylight out of her, what if she was pregnant? She’d have the whole world watching her every move. Not to mention she was younger than most others, at the ripe age of 22 she was sure she’d get a hate for being so young. It was thoughts like these that made the large bed feel even emptier. She wanted nothing more than for Robbie to come and scare away all the bad thoughts. She missed the way he used to hold her. 

_ Robbie’s brows furrowed as he looked at Cat's sleeping form, watching her shake and whimper in her sleep caused him to worry. With little hesitation, he softly shook her awake. “Kitty-cat, you’re having a nightmare.” He whispered, causing her to wake up.  _

_ “Robbie.” She whimpered, falling into his open arms, tears quickly sliding down her cheeks.  _

_ He wrapped his arms around her firmly, her head resting on chest as she was curled in his lap. It wasn’t until moments like these when he realized just how tiny she was. _

_ “It was just a nightmare.” He whispered, petting her hair softly.  _

_ “B-but you were g-gone.” She cried, gripping his shirt tightly.  _

_ “I’m not going anywhere.” He softly kissed the top of her head.  _

_ “Promise?”  _

_ “I promise.”  _

_ “I love you.”  _

_ “I love you too.” _

She didn’t even notice she was crying from the memory until she wiped her face and noticed her hand came back wet. She sniffled loudly, burying her face into his pillow, trying her best to catch a whiff of his scent or feel his broad chest. “You lied to me.” she cried softly, her knuckles turning white with how hard she gripped the sheets, “Why’d you have to g-go? I miss y-you so much.” 

She hoped that wherever he was he could hear her, she clung to the thought of him being with her. If he couldn’t be with her physically, she hoped and prayed he could at least be with her spiritually. She just wanted him to know how much she loved him and how she always would. 

Jade grumbled multiple profanities under her breath as she knocked on Nonna’s door. Getting Tori to go into the convenience store was a pain in itself. Now she would have to deal with Nonna. 

_ “What if I get recognized? I don’t want anyone to think I’m pregnant.” Tori questioned, her head slightly out the window as Jade’s car was pulled up right next to the store.  _

_ “Please, you’re not even that known.” Jade rolled her eyes, her hands impatiently tapping the wheel of the car.  _

_ “Then why can’t you do it?” Tori asked.  _

_ “I don’t want any of those lame-os to think I’m pregnant.” Jade argued back. _

_ “I can’t win with you, huh?” Tori huffed, sliding down her seat.  _

_ “Nope. Now go buy the tests.”  _

_ “Fine.”  _

__ Nonna carefully opened her door before gasping, she didn’t waste a second before allowing them to enter her small bedroom in elderly acres. Tori had to shove Jade into the room. “I heard the news! Is Cat okay?” 

Jade frowned, “You weren’t supposed to.” She grumbled under her breath. 

Nonna looked offended before Tori swooped in, “She means the information was leaked to the press. We didn’t want Cat to be under the stress of being in the public eye.” 

“Well is Cat handling things well?” Nonna questioned, looking at Tori. 

“That’s why we’re here.” Jade began, her hands resting in the pocket of her jacket. 

Tori quickly finished Jade’s sentence, “We think she needs someone like you. She’s not letting anyone in, we’re hoping that maybe you could help.” 

Nonna looked down sadly, her granddaughter was always sensitive. In the past, most of her visits consisted of Cat gushing over the poor man, always telling a story about whatever Robbie did on their past date. “Okay, when can I go?” 

“As soon as possible.” Jade answered. 


	8. And Then There Were Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade and Tori bring Nonna home and convince Cat to take a pregnancy test.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit short, sorry!!

“We’re back!” Jade and Tori both entered Cat’s house with Nonna in tow, Nonna instantly looked worried. “Has anything changed?” Tori questioned, looking at Andre and Beck for an answer. 

They both shook their heads, “We heard her throwing up in her bathroom and tried knocking on her door, but she insisted she was fine.” Beck stated, crossing his arms as he sat back. 

“What do you mean throwing up?!” Nonna questioned, causing Jade to cringe at the high pitched tone of her voice. 

They all ignored her question while Jade went up and knocked on Cat’s door. “Cat,” She spoke softly, “We bought some tests.” 

Nonna looked at everyone else for an explanation but they all shook their heads, causing her to stare at Cat’s door in confusion. 

“No!” Cat cried from the other side of the door, “I don’t want to know!” It wasn’t hard for any of them to hear her hard sobs in fear of finding out if she was pregnant or not. 

“Cat, babygirl, we also brought you a visitor.” Nonna was shocked at hearing Jade speak so gently, she had never seen this side of Jade, and frankly it almost scared her. 

They all waited patiently as they heard Cat shuffle to the door and then the click of the door unlocking. Cat slowly opened the door, revealing just how much of a mess she looked like. Her red hair was disheveled, her eyes were puffy and red from crying, and she was wearing one of Robbie’s shirts that was far too big for her and drooped past her thighs, successfully covering her shorts. She held Rex in one arm and Mr. Purple in the other as she peeked through the door, her tears coming stronger.

“Nonna.” 

Her voice cracked as she spoke, ashamed to have her grandmother see her like this. Not only was she the saddest she’s ever been, she didn’t even know if she was pregnant or not. She immediately looked down, not wanting to stare her Nonna in the eye. 

“Cat, honey.” Nonna’s shrill voice caused Jade to scowl, but Nonna just continued to speak. “Are you okay?” 

“Does she even look okay-ow!” Jade rubbed her arm, frowning at Tori, who had punched her even before she could finish speaking. Tori just gave Cat a weak smile while she looked at the rest of the gang. 

“Am I that bad?” She questioned, her voice shaking with emotion. She was so tired but could hardly close her eyes without seeing a cold and hurt Robbie. She hadn’t even eaten in two days, “I really am a mess.” She sobbed. 

Nonna brushed past through the door, the rest of them following as Nonna and Cat sat on the bed. Nonna rubbed Cat’s shoulder softly, “No, you just look tired that’s all.” 

Cat looked at her Nonna with tears dripping down her cheeks, “W-what’s that supposed to mean?” 

Beck cleared his throat before they could continue trying to make Cat feel better, “The tests?” 

Nonna looked confused, turning to Jade quickly. “What tests?” 

Tori pulled out a box of pregnancy tests from her pocket, “Cat, you have to know whether or not you’re pregnant.” 

Nonna’s jaw dropped, making Cat believe she was ashamed of her Granddaughter possibly being pregnant. “No, no, no! I don’t want to know!” She sobbed, curling into an upright fetal position. 

Tori placed the test down before going over to Cat, sitting beside her like Nonna. “Cat, why don’t you want to know?” 

Cat sucked in a harsh breath, squeezing her eyes shut. “Because if I am then what about my image? My fans? R-Robbie? Robbie always wanted a b-baby! ” She cried, hyperventilating from fear. 

“Cat.” They all looked at her, none of them knowing what to say, not even Nonna. Jade sighed, punching Beck in the arm. “So much for Nonna helping.” She muttered under her breath only for Beck to quickly pull her into his chest to shut her up. 

“What about the press? What will they say about Robbie?” Cat whimpered, her hands holding her head, covering her ears. “What if they start to say bad things? What if they think he’s a terrible person?! What if they begin to hate him?! I can’t let that happen!” 

They all watched Cat go into a state of slight insanity, rocking and covering her ears to block out the real world. The world she no longer wanted to be part of. Everyone in the room could see just how much she couldn’t care about herself, only caring about her deceased lover. 

“Cat,” Jade started, breaking away from Beck only to be ignored from Cat, “Cat! Calm down!” Jade removed Cat’s hands from her ears, forcing her to look at her. 

“That doesn’t stop the fact that you might be pregnant, kitten, we have to know in order to keep you safe.” Cat looked Jade in the eye, surprised to see a softness that she barely showed. 

Cat looked down, resting her head on her arms. “But what if I am and they never get to know how great Robbie was.” She sniffled, tears slowly making their way down her cheeks. 

This time it was Nonna who placed a hand on Cat’s shoulder, having to analyze the situation after everyone basically refused to tell her. “Cat, there’s so many people to tell Robbie’s story to your little angel. Plus, they’ll have you.” 

Cat glanced around the room to see everyone nod in agreement with her grandmother. Her eyes drifted towards Rex, “Fine, I-I’ll take the dumb test.” 

The gang plus Nonna all waited in Cat’s bedroom after she had insisted she did it alone. Tori was basically biting her nails to the tip, Jade was furiously tapping her foot, Back was mindlessly staring out the window, Andre was staring at the carpeted floor, and Nonna was scrolling through her phone. They all sat in silence, waiting for when Cat would return or they’d have to go in. 

It killed them all just a little bit, Jade the most. Jade was her best friend yet she felt mostly useless. She couldn’t bring Robbie back, even if she tried. She hated not knowing how to say the right thing, and now they would definitely have to walk on eggshells around Cat. There was no way she’d- They were all ripped from whatever thoughts they were having at the sound of Cat’s cry from the bathroom. 

They stormed into the room to find Cat sobbing on the bathroom floor, the test thrown across the room. “No, no, no! It wasn’t supposed to be like this!” She sobbed, gripping her head tightly in her hands. 

Jade quickly enveloped Cat into a tight hug, causing her to cry into her chest. Cat curled up into Jade, shaking furiously as she cried out from the pain in her heart. “What does it say?” Jade asked the others, pointing to the fallen test. 

Tori shakily reached for the test, gulping heavily as she picked it up. She nervously looked at Andre for reassurance before flipping it over to reveal two clear lines. “I-It’s positive.” 


	9. No Longer a Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of them finding out she’s pregnant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: mentions of sex, no actual lemon just mentions of it

It had been hours since Cat had taken the test, Nonna had since left and Cat had hardly moved at all. It took Andre or Beck, she couldn’t remember, to carry her to the couch. Still, all she had done was stare blankly in front of herself, shaking softly as she hugged herself loosely. She hardly responded to anyone or anything, she seemed broken.

“Robbie’s supposed to be here! He was going to be so happy and we were going to be a happy family- not a b-broken one.” She sobbed after a long silence, her hands covering her face.

Jade sat next to Cat and crossed her legs, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. She gave it a soft rub before blankly asking her question. “Are you sure the baby is Robbie’s?” She asked, causing everyone else in the room to gawk at her. 

Cat slowly turned her head towards Jade, looking at her with a hurt expression. “What’s t-that supposed to mean? Are you saying I’m a c-cheater? I’m- I’m a s-slut?” She whimpered, her eyes watering. 

Tori slapped Jade’s shoulder roughly, “Good going.” 

“I didn’t think Robbie had it in him!” Jade defended, throwing her hands up.

“I’ve never been with anyone but him, I don’t think I ever will be with anyone but h-him.” Cat whispered, placing her ringed hand on her still flat stomach. 

They all looked at her with pity, Tori especially. She was always a romantic, seeing this deeply saddened her. It was like a story in a novel, except this wasn’t a story. Tori felt bad knowing that she couldn’t fix anything like she had done with Beck and Jade when they were in high school.

“Little red,” Andre began, “None of us think you’re a cheater or any of that chiz! We just didn’t think you guys did  _ that. _ ” 

“I’m not a baby!” She snapped, looking at the others with a pained gaze, “I know what sex is! I’m as old as you guys! Everyone always treats me like a baby! Everyone but R-Robbie.” 

The room quickly went silent, all of them knew she was right. She was the baby of the group so they always treated her like one, giving her candy and coloring books. None of them realized when she had matured, often ignoring her just in case she was telling one of those off stories about her brother. 

Cat’s lip trembled as she tried to fight her tears, biting her lip so hard she was sure she would draw blood. “Don’t act like you guys don’t treat me like a c-child. You hardly even let me speak, you guys didn’t start caring until Robbie d-died.” Her voice was raw with emotion, her throat burned from trying not to cry, “He was the only one who treated me like a real person.” 

Jade sat there silently, Cat’s words sinking deeply within her. She hated to admit it, they all did, but Cat was correct. She always brushed off everything Cat said, often shutting her up with candy or throwing her some crayons. Now she felt like an idiot and a terrible friend. Cat was a full grown adult and they treated her like a toddler. She felt awful, and not the good kind. 

Fat tears dripped from Cat’s eyes as she began to choke on her words. “N-now everything is w-wrong. It’s n-not supposed to b-be like this.” She hugged her knees close to her chest as she avoided eye contact with them. 

She blushed slightly when she remembered their first  _ time _ as a couple, it really was both their first times ever. It was the start of the time when she didn’t feel like a child. He didn’t treat her like an idiot the whole time, he treated her like a real person. She had finally felt alive for once.

_ They both collapsed onto the bed, both gasping for air heatedly. Cat snuggled into Robbie’s side, a few tears slipping past her eyelids. Robbie pulled her close, causing her to lay on top of his bare chest, and wiped away her tears. “I’m sorry, did I hurt you?”  _

_ Cat quickly shook her head, rolling so she could face him properly. “No, you were amazing.” She murmured, pecking his lips.  _

_ The start had been awkward and messy, successfully scaring Robbie when Cat cried out from pain when they first began. It took a couple minutes for them both to be comfortable, but it managed to probably be one of the best nights ever for both of them.  _

_ Robbie’s head dipped down towards her neck, kissing her sweet spot lightly. “T-thank you.” She moaned, her back arching slightly.  _

_ “For what?” He questioned, pulling back to kiss her on the cheek.  _

_ She smiled at him, her hands reaching to fix his crooked glasses. They laid chest to chest staring at each other with a loving gaze, “You actually get me.” She whispered, wondering if her eyes reflected as much love as his eyes did.  _

_ “Of course I do, I love you.” He mumbled, brushing his lips past her lips, grazing them softly.  _

_ Cat just giggled softly, deciding not to explain it more. Her arms wrapped around his neck, their bare bodies resting against each other. It was just like Robbie to care about her so much. She would have never waited so long to date him if she knew it would be like this. “I love you so much. Even more than Bibble.”  _

Tears dripped down her chin at the memory, suddenly missing him a lot more than before. Surprisingly, or not, they had both only been 19. It was the night her first single had topped the charts, they were both on such highs that they didn’t really think at all that night. 

Part of her wanted to regret loving him so much, maybe then she wouldn’t be so heartbroken. But instead, she couldn’t help her heart from feeling what it did. Her chest physically hurt from all her crying and sadness. Her hand slipped down to her stomach, caressing it softly. The silence in the room almost made her forget about her friends. 

She glanced up at them before looking away, “You guys can go home now, I’ll be fine for the night.” She mumbled, wiping away her own tears. 

“Are you sure?” Tori questioned, a sad tone to her voice. 

Cat nodded weakly, watching as, after their goodbyes, her friends left her apartment, leaving her in the empty quiet room. 


	10. My Red Haired Kitty-Cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat gets a call from her manager and realizes how much she’s changed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter had taken so long, i’ve really just been slacking. 
> 
> Also i’ve decided to kinda make this an au of some sort where Cat is kind of like Ariana Grande, but just in the music department. The only connection she really has with AG is that she will have some of her discography.

Cat sat alone on the couch for far too long, the sun was close to setting and she had hardly moved an inch. She was sitting alone with her thoughts, rethinking everything that she could’ve done differently. If only she wasn’t so shallow as a teenager, she and Robbie could’ve started dating so much sooner. 

There was nothing more she regretted than refusing to reveal her true feelings to Robbie because she was scared of her social image. Every single time she rejected him just hurt them both. If only she hadn’t been such an idiot. Yet, somehow after all of the pain and suffering she caused him, he still loved her. Maybe the pain in her heart was payback for all the times she hurt him. 

Cat weakly stood up from the couch, she was tired of being so tired. But the combined feeling of the baby and heartbreak made her feel sick to her stomach at the thought of eating. She lost track of time days ago, all she knew was it had felt like years since she had heard Robbie’s voice or seen his face. And next thing she knew, she would soon be having their baby. 

With a heavy heart she walked over to the broken picture frame, it seemed that one of her friends had picked up all the broken glass. She stared at Robbie through the picture, getting lost in his hazel brown eyes. She could’ve and would’ve stared at his picture forever but she was interrupted by the shrill sound of her phone ringing. She hoped it wasn’t one of her friends already checking up on her, she was completely exhausted from their babying. She just wanted them to treat her normally again. 

She sighed when she saw it was her manager, she had almost forgotten about that part of her life. She stared blankly at her phone, wondering what would happen if she just let it go to voicemail. Before she even had time to contemplate that idea, her body had decided on its own and answered the phone call for her. “H-hello?” She croaked, her voice cracking from lack of use for the past hours. 

“Caterina! Good afternoon!” Her manager, Steven, greeted loudly. 

“Hey.” She pulled the phone away from her ear, too tired for him to be so upbeat. Had he not heard or seen the news? She wasn’t in the mood to be happy.

“Great news! You do indeed know that the AMA awards are coming up soon and they want you to perform for them!” He blasted through the phone, causing Cat to sigh softly. 

“Steven, I-”

“They want you to perform ‘My Everything’, they’re hoping that your performance could be a chiller one.” 

Cat winced, she really didn’t want to perform, she wasn’t in the right state to perform. “I really don’t know, I’m still mourning Robbie.” She sniffled, using the back of her hand to wipe her nose. 

“C’mon Caterina! It’s been a month since he died!” He urged, clearly showing no care for what she wanted. 

Cat’s breath hitched, not only did she hate that name but the lack of care he held for Robbie made her angry. “You know how much I love him, you really can’t expect me to be over _it_! I won’t ever be o-over him.” Cat hated that he saw Robbie as some sort of obstacle she’d just have to jump over, it made her want to rip her hair from her scalp. 

“Caterina,” She gulped at how serious his voice got, “You’ll be performing at that show. Or would you rather disappoint your fans? The first practice is next week, I expect you to be there.” 

Cat merely nodded through the phone, not knowing the power her manager had. His voice had become so low and scary that it had successfully made her surrender, “Y-yes, sir.” Her voice cracked heavily, only relaxing when she heard the click of him hanging up. 

The cry she held in broke out after she placed her phone down, there was no way she’d be ready to perform such a song in a month. How did he expect her to be fine already? The love of her life was gone and she was expecting. She gripped her hair between her fingertips before letting out a loud cry she was sure her neighbors heard. 

She loved releasing music because she knew how much it helped people but sometimes she wished it didn’t come with the fame. She loved her fans so much, but it was times like these that the stress became too much. There was no way she could handle disappointing them, especially with all their support. Her manager didn’t help much either, she could tell he was only with her for the money but she was trapped in a contract she wouldn’t be able to leave for a long time. Not to mention he always threatened her career whenever she tried to oppose him. 

It made her so angry that her manager had the right to treat Robbie’s death so carelessly. Had he really expected her to be okay after a month? She could hardly believe it had been a month. It had felt like it had been so long ago yet also so recently. 

She opened her phone’s calendar to actually check, nearly dropping her phone when she realized it had nearly been that long. August 13th. She had been over a month without Robbie, Without her main muse. She had spent all this time silent on social media and hardly taking care of herself properly. She had slept and cried the month away, only now realizing why her friends looked so tired and exhausted. She was glad to have finally given them a break.

On unsteady feet, she slowly walked into her room. Looking into the mirror, she saw just how much of a mess she was. Her cheeks hollowed from not eating and her hair knotted and matted from lack of care. The red color reminded her of Robbie, he had always loved it on her. 

_Cat entered their home, placing her keys down with a sigh. It was far later than she had expected to come home, and she assumed Robbie had already gone to bed. With the stressful day she had, all she wanted to do was sleep. Before she had the chance to take off her shoes, Robbie was already by her side. Surprising her sweetly. “Hey, sweetie.” He greeted, pulling her into a tight hug._

_“Hey.” Cat mumbled, giving him a swift peck on the lips before resting her head on his shoulder in the hug._

_Robbie quickly noticed something was up with Cat with how out of character she was. He patted her softly on the back, telling her to jump up as he caught and held her up by her thighs. She loosely held onto his neck with her arms as he carried her to the couch, clearly seeing how tired she was. He sat her down in his lap and began to softly pet her hair, causing her to purr just like her namesake. She curled up in his lap like a kitten. “Mind telling me what’s wrong?”_

_Cat inhaled Robbie’s scent like it was a drug, relaxing into his touch easily. “Do you think I should dye my hair back to its natural color?” She questioned, looking down at her hands as she played with them._

_Robbie was quite shocked to hear her ask such a question, she had always had red hair and loved her hair. He never imagined her changing it.“And why would you think that?”_

_Cat snuggled into his chest, covering her face in the crook of his neck, embarrassed. “Because everyone thinks it’s childish and unprofessional.”_

_Robbie, quite shocked she had let other people’s opinions affect her, gently grabbed her chin and forced her to look him in the eye. “And since when do other people’s opinions matter to you.” He said, exasperated._

_Cat, like the sensitive person she was, began to tear up slightly. She opened her mouth to speak and explain herself, but it only caused her to break out into a cry. Her entire day had been filled with people from her management telling her she’d have to change her hair color in order to actually become something in the music world and that her hair made her look dumb and like a child._

_Robbie watched as her lip wobbled and heavy tears rolled down her face, she tried to keep eye contact through her tears but failed miserably. He released her chin and pulled her close to his chest, he rubbed her back in smooth patterns while rocking her to soften her tears. “Don’t feel the need to change for anyone else.” He whispered, inwardly wondering if she could hear how fast and hard his heart was beating, “You’re my little red haired kitty-cat. I love you.”_

_Robbie gently kissed the top of her head, continuing to comfort and soothe her until he was almost sure she had fallen asleep. Her breathing was slowed and her grip on him weakened. Quietly and carefully, he brought her into their bedroom and managed to get her out of her clothes and into one of his oversized shirts for the night. He tucked her in before joining her in nothing but his boxers, It didn’t take long at all for her to cuddle into him, enjoying the warmth he gave off._

_“I love you too.”_

Cat stared at her reflection with disgust, there was no way she could’ve allowed herself to lose so much control. Even as her broken self looked back at her, she could still hear Robbie calling her beautiful. She was going to try her best to perform for Robbie, for herself, and especially their baby. 


	11. Motherhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade and Cat spend some time together without everyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jade’s a little ooc in this, but I’m just going to say that’s because she’s a little older than when she was in the TV show.

Jade knocked on the door once more, growing even more impatient as each second ticked by. It had been a full day and each of them struggled to get any word from Cat. Normally it wasn’t like Cat to ignore or avoid them, they all partially understood why she was, but it didn’t stop them from being concerned. 

Just when Jade was ready to knock Cat’s door down the door opened with a creak, revealing a cleaned up Cat. “Hey.” 

Jade stared at Cat, a frown curving into her lips. She had showered and cleaned up, almost looking completely normally except for the fact that she seemed empty. Emotionally drained. Her eyes seemed pained and her lips were curved downward. It was so unlike Cat that it caused Jade’s gut to stir uncomfortably. “Hey.” 

Cat silently invited Jade inside, both of them unnaturally quiet. Cat played with the engagement ring on her finger, staring at Jade intently. “They called you too, right?” Jade questioned, avoiding Cat’s gaze by staring directly at the wall. 

Cat’s throat was too raw to speak. “Mhm.” She choked out, failing to fight her tears. 

Without even looking at Cat, Jade could tell she was crying. The sound of her sniffles gave her away. Jade looked over at Cat and saw how she was biting her lip to stop it from quivering as tears dripped from her eyes. “Babygirl.” Jade found herself opening her arms to invite Cat into a hug. Cat quickly accepted the offer, crying into Jade’s shoulder. “I-I’m not ready to say g-goodbye.” She cried, shaking her head. 

Jade knew the second she had gotten the phone call alerting her and Beck that they should all start planning Robbie’s funeral that Cat wouldn’t be okay. It had hardly been 20 minutes after the call and she was already out and on her way to Cat’s home. “I know, but we have to.” Jade whispered, rubbing Cat’s back softly. 

Cat rested her head on Jade’s shoulder, looking down into her lap. She stared at her ring through blurry eyes, when her tears completely blurred her vision she rested her hands on her belly. “H-he isn’t supposed to be gone. He’s s-supposed to be here.” 

Cat couldn’t believe how terrible her life had gotten. She and Robbie were supposed to be getting married and become parents together, but that would be impossible now. 

Jade tried to be strong for Cat, but found herself slipping at the sight of Cat’s small bump. She would never, ever(well maybe) admit that she missed Robbie, but Cat seemed so lost without him. Part of her wanted to cuss him out for dying while the other part of her just wanted to beg him to come back for Cat. 

They both sat together in silence, Jade holding Cat close while her cries quieted down into small whimpers. Cat quickly decided she no longer wanted to talk about Robbie’s funeral, finding it to be far too overwhelming to speak about. “They want me to perform at the AMA’s but I don’t think I can.” Cat sniffled, letting out a weak cough. 

Jade’s eyes widened, “Aren’t they like next week? That has to be some kind of joke.” 

Cat closed her eyes, relaxing onto Jade. “Steven already agreed, I can’t back away now.” 

Jade curved her brow, frustrated with Cat’s manager. Seeing Cat mourn first hand made it clear that she wasn’t ready to perform or sing, especially with his funeral coming up. She sighed, “You shouldn’t feel obligated to do anything right now. How about we go get something to eat to forget about everything right now?” Jade whispered, giving Cat a short pat on the back. 

Jade was partly in disbelief. After all everyone had always thought that she and Beck would be the first ones getting married and having kids, it was hard to believe that someone as youthful and childish as Cat would have to become a single mother. She couldn’t deny that Cat would be an amazing mother, but she couldn’t help but wonder if Cat actually wanted the baby or not. 

Cat weakly nodded, using the back of her hand to dry her eyes. “O-okay.” She hiccuped, dizzily standing up. “Should we call Tori?” 

Jade shook her head, “Let’s just spend some quality Jade n’ Cat time.” She gave Cat an unnatural smile, trying her best to distract Cat from her own mind. 

After Jade allowed Cat to dress in a baggy oversized shirt, they both piled into her car. It had taken a lot of convincing, Cat initially being too scared to hop in. After pulling out of the driveway she turned on the radio, both of them sitting in silence for most of the ride. 

“Cat?” Jade glanced at Cat to find her staring mindlessly out the window. 

“Hm?” Cat mumbled, watching as the car passed every tree and house. 

“Do you, um, actually like the idea of the baby?” Jade avoided Cat’s stare by looking directly at the road, paying attention to traffic. 

Cat placed a shaky on her baby bump, it was hardly noticeable if you didn’t look hard, especially with the baggy shirt she was wearing. “This baby scares me, Jade. I’ve always wanted to be a mother, everyone knows that, but I never imagined it to be under these circumstances.” 

Her fingers tapped the wheel impatiently, although Jade didn’t like it, she couldn’t deny that the gang had spoken about the baby behind Cat’s back. None of them believed she was completely ready, they had even considered trying to get Cat to give it up. They all knew it’d crush Cat, but they wanted what was best for the both of them. “So, does that mean that you want it?” Jade questioned, her foot tapping anxiously. 

While the funeral was the main reason Jade came to see Cat, she couldn’t lie and say that was completely why. The gang agreed that Jade should try and convince Cat about some  _ other  _ options. It made Jade feel gross, and not the good kind. “Yeah, I do.” Cat murmured, smiling softly to herself, “They’re the last piece of Robbie that I have. I can’t give that away, I love him too much.” 

She gently rubbed her belly, whispering to herself. “Plus, I’m a little excited to be a mommy.” 

Jade winced at Cat’s words, why did they have to make her the bad guy? There was no way she could just tell Cat to give it up, why couldn’t Tori do it? “Are you sure you’re ready? I think there’d be many people who would be willing to raise them for you.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Cat felt tears welling in her eyes, she began feeling wronged by Jade. How could she say such a thing? 

“Oh, you know,” Jade started to feel awful, any appetite she had before vanished completely. “Some of us, definitely not me, think it’d be better for both of you if you gave the kid up for, yknow-” Jade made a clicking noise with her tongue, avoiding saying the word adoption. 

Cat hugged her knees in her seat, “Do you guys think I’m not fit to be a mother?” She sniffled, wiping her nose with her sleeve. 

“Kitty-Cat, it’s just that with everything happening. Robbie and your career, don’t you think that it could become too much?” Jade wanted to bash her head on the car horn, there was no way she wasn’t killing Tori after this. 

_ “I love Cat, but I don’t think she’s ready for a baby.” Tori spoke, placing her bag down, exhausted.  _

_ The gang, except Cat of course, all went to Jade and Beck’s house, all agreeing to meet up for drinks after Cat had basically kicked them out from hers. “Where the hell is this coming from?” Jade was clearly unnerved, not enjoying where this was going.  _

_ Andre just nodded in agreement, adding a shrug. “Tor’s right, I don’t think she can handle a child. She can hardly handle herself half the time.” Andre let out a chuckle, trying to make the situation brighter than it was.  _

_ Jade’s jaw basically dropped, her ears clearly deceiving her. She turned to Beck, her gaze hopeful, “You can’t agree with them, right?”  _

_ Beck placed his hands up in defeat, “I’m sorry but I do, I love her, but come on. She’s not going to recover from Robbie for a while, do you think his baby is going to help?”  _

_ “Yes!” Jade shot back, sending a death glare to the rest of them, “Some kind of friends you are!”  _

_ “We’re only saying this because we love her and she really loved Robbie. This is going to affect her for a really long time, what if she lets it all out on the baby?” Tori stated, looking at Jade with a sad gaze. _

_ Jade curled her lip in disgust, backing away from all of them. “You guys sound crazy, do you really think she’d harm her own child?” Jade looked at the others, exasperated when none of them shook their heads, “This is Cat we’re talking about!”  _

_ “We know,” Andre stated, biting his lip as he looked at the tiled floor, “But you saw her reaction when she saw it was a positive test. She cried for hours!”  _

_ “Because she wanted Robbie to be there! Not because she didn’t want the stupid baby!” Jade snapped, her hands basically ripping the hair from her scalp in frustration.  _

_ “But what about her career? She’s the one who’s done the best out of all us, the press will have a field day if she starts carrying around a baby!” Tori stated, clearly trying her best to prove their point.  _

_ Jade’s eyes shot daggers at Tori, her gaze holding hatred and anger. “What about her career? You can just say you’re jealous! Or is ‘sweet sally peaches’ too sweet and good for that?” Jade shouted, keeping her Tori accent.  _

_ They all quieted down after that, causing Jade to blow out a heavy sigh. “If you really cared about Cat, you wouldn’t talk like this behind her back.”  _

_ Though Jade tried to hide it, she was hurt from their words. Cat was basically her sister and she had to listen as they all believed she would make a terrible mother. She was normally mean, but that was crossing the line. Even for her.  _

_ “Well, can’t you at least bring up the idea to her?” Tori questioned after a long silence, causing Jade’s jaw to drop to the ground.  _

_ “You don’t actually expect me to tell her this?” Jade asked, her eyes nearly popping from their sockets.  _

_ This time it was Beck who spoke up, whispering under his breath but it was heard under the silence. “Well you’re her best friend.”  _

__ Jade had no idea why she was actually doing this, she didn’t even agree with it. Knowing Cat like she did, she believed she would be an amazing mother. “It sounds like you’re just saying I won’t be a good m-mom.” 

Jade reached a hand out to place a comforting touch on Cat’s knee, pain reflecting in her eyes when Cat tried her best to avoid Jade’s touch by maneuvering out of the way. “P-please don’t touch me.” Cat cried, curling up into a ball and crying softly. 

Cat felt completely betrayed by her best friend. She had always thought that Jade actually loved her, she showed her true self behind closed doors all the time. Cat knew the real Jade was kinder than this, but why was she being so mean? She felt completely alone now. 

Jade pulled over into the parking lot of the restaurant, both of them clearly not in the mood to go inside. “Cat, I’m literally the last person that thinks that.” Jade said with an empty laugh, “I think you’re gonna be the best mom out there, you’re too loving to not be.” 

Cat looked at Jade through her hands, her eyes puffy and red from her tears. “Then why would you say things like that?” Cat asked, hurt evident in her voice. 

“You always told me I should try to become better friends with Vega.” Jade murmured, causing Cat to hit her on the arm. “What! It was all her idea!” Jade laughed.

“Why’d you listen!” Cat softly hit Jade on the arm again, clearly trying to seem angry but smiling softly. She was just glad to know Jade was being truthful. 

“On a serious note, I really do believe that you’re going to be an amazing mom, no matter what Vega or anyone else says.” Jade stated, placing her hands back on the wheel to pull out, “But how about we get some takeout instead, I’m not in the mood to go anywhere anymore.” 

“Yeah, that sounds nice.” Cat smiled softly, her hand falling back to her baby bump. 


	12. Dress Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat prepares for the AMA’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve finally set up a timeline because honestly it’s kind of all over the place. 
> 
> Month: August  
> Date: 24th  
> Months Pregnant: 3 
> 
> Also I was sort of in a rush to get this chapter out so i didn’t check it for errors, I might go back in, but until then, my apologies if some of the grammar/writing is wrong!
> 
> edit; i went back and fixed everything!!

Cat hardly had a chance to fully wake up before feeling completely sick to her stomach, she quickly ran to the bathroom, the sound of her retching echoing through the quiet apartment. Her morning sickness had become part of her morning routine but she still couldn’t get used to it. Every morning it seemed to get worse, causing her physical pain as she emptied the contents of her stomach into the toilet. 

She was ready to burst from stress from the work filled week she had. She had to practice her performance almost everyday, having to wake up early and go to sleep late was hard on her. She wasn’t even mentally ready for today: The AMA’s. She wanted so badly to bail, she wasn’t ready to go public without Robbie. He had always been at every red carpet with her, ready to ease her anxiety quickly. 

The thought of it quickly began to cause her to hyperventilate, there was no way she could go to that carpet, she wasn’t close to ever being ready. She quickly reached for her phone, fumbling with the contacts she called her manager. “Hey, Cat!” Steven greeted through the phone. 

“I can’t do this today!” Cat cried into the phone, hugging herself tightly, “I’m not ready! I can’t!” 

The line went silent except for cries and gasps from Cat, unable to help herself. She could already tell Steven was mad at her, he’d been rushing the performance since it was announced. He called it her big comeback, but she wasn’t ready to be in the public eye again.

“Cat.” Steven began, his steady voice scaring the daylight out of her, “You already know what I’m going to say.” 

She used a hand to cover her mouth and try to hide her sobs, shaking her head profusely. “Please.” she begged. 

She had never had full control on her anxiety but now she felt like she was going to faint. The thought of being surrounded by cameras and flashing lights on the carpet only to be surrounded again by other stars and performers made her feel sick to her stomach and dizzy. 

“Caterina Valentine, I don’t know what you want me to tell you. You should’ve said something before we planned it all, it’s too late to get everyone’s hopes up.” Steven was eerily calm, causing the hairs on the back of her neck to raise. 

“I did! I begged not to!” She whimpered, her entire body shaking. 

Steven merrily clicked his tongue, shrugging his shoulders. “Guess you didn’t try hard enough, they’re expecting to see you there by 5. Your driver is going to pick you up at 4, all your stylists will be there at 12. Be ready.” 

She had not a chance to argue before the click of the line ending was heard. She sat shocked in the same position, propped up on the toilet while sitting on the floor, her hand even holding the phone up still. There weren’t words to describe how wronged she felt. To think, she was basically trapped in this contract for at least five more years. She wished she hadn’t been blinded when signing it, he really had seemed like a good guy, but as each day passed his good guy facade faded more and more. 

It made her feel dizzy and nauseous, unsure of whether or not she should get up at this point. As a weak attempt to comfort herself, she hugged her belly bump, looking for any type of reassurance from Robbie through their baby. It slightly worked, the idea of the baby being part Robbie helped her. At least until small tears slipped from her eyes, saddened by the fact that he couldn’t be there. 

She had no idea how long she was sitting on that floor, crying silently, but she was snapped out of her trance when she heard a soft knocking on her door. Without hesitation, she got up weakly and answered it, only to be surprised when it was her stylists. She quickly wiped her eyes, smudging yesterday's makeup. “Oh my god, I’m so sorry! I completely lost track of time! I look like a mess and I haven’t even showered!” 

She quickly invited them into her house, trying to wipe all of the tear streaks and makeup lines from her face. It wasn’t that she wasn’t close to her stylists, she tried to make friends with everyone she worked with, she just didn’t want them to see her in her current state. 

“Cat, girl, you’re fine! Just go take a shower, we have until 4.” Troye, her main stylist, stated, carefully removing the dress he planned for her to wear. 

It was a black, skintight, above the knee, dress that had a deep v-line. The dress was sparkly above the waist line and was backless. It was a bit of a riskier choice, but he really believed she could pull it off. 

“Are you sure? I don’t want you guys to be waiting around.” Cat said, looking down ashamed. 

“He’s totally right, it’s not like we plan on going all out tonight! We have plenty of time.” Melissa, her makeup artist, waved a hand shooing her away and into her bedroom. 

Cat shouted a thank you through her door, quickly hopping into the shower to not make them wait long. She already felt terrible, she didn’t want to make them wait alone for a while. 

“She’s not doing so good.” Melissa mentioned while setting up her supplies on the table. 

“I’m always one for gossip but this just kinda hurts to see.” Troye agreed, shaking his head softly. 

It hadn’t taken too long before Melissa finished Cat’s makeup. She was given a nice natural colored lip and a sharp cat eye that would compliment her dress. “Thank you again, I was really unprofessional about all this.” Cat murmured, looking down. 

“Hey, it’s cool, we completely understand.”Melissa said, starting to clean her work area. 

“Hey guys, look it’s almost three. We should get you dressed, Cat.” Troye, clapped his hands in delight before reaching for the dress. 

Cat’s jaw dropped when she saw the tight black fabric of the dress and how revealing it was. “Are you sure that’s what you want me to wear?” She questioned. 

She was afraid that it would clearly show her pregnant belly, after all it was slightly noticeable when she didn’t hide it baggy clothes. There was also no way it would be forgotten when her pictures could most likely be seen by thousands if not more people. 

“Yes Girl! You’re going to kill it! It’s going to look great with that makeup look and you’ll be the talk of the night with this comeback!” He cheered, grabbed the dress from the hanger. 

Cat gulped, unsure of whether or not she should bring up her concerns. She wasn’t ready to tell people she was pregnant, even if she considered them friends. She wasn’t ready for the news to possibly spread around the world. “O-okay, is there like a cover up in case it gets cold?” She asked, also wondering if she could cover it up with her purse. 

“Cat, darling, we’re in LA in the middle of august.” He laughed, signaling her to come closer, “Come on, get out of that baggy shirt, we have to get you ready for the carpet!” 

Cat knew he was coming from a place of love but she still felt unsure and scared. She bit her lip to stop it from wobbling, her emotions clearly not in check from her hormones, and carefully brought up a shaky hand to begin removing her sweater. 

This pregnancy just gave her another reason to hate being so small. She knew normally a belly took longer to show, but on her skinny, hardly five foot self it was normal to show a bit early. 

She carefully peeled her sweater off her body, revealing her undergarments. She was completely desensitized to showing her body to her stylists, it was part of the process, but this time it felt like the first time again. She wanted to shield herself from their eyes. She closed her own eyes so she wouldn’t have to see their reactions just in case, though she badly hoped that they just believed she was bloated or something along those lines. 

“Cat honey?” Troyes voice was filled with confusion as he looked at her. 

“Yes?” 

“This isn’t your first rodeo, you have to take that off too.” He said, pointing at her bra. 

Cat quickly let out a breath she was unaware she had been holding, if they noticed, they refused to say anything. “Oh, oh yeah.” 


	13. The Red Carpet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat finally goes onto the red carpet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This probably isn’t accurate to real red carpets because i’m not famous and have never been on a red carpet(or any carpet) before.

Cat made sure to hold her clutch over her front, doing a little twirl in the mirror. She couldn’t help but feel like she wasn’t herself. She looked better than she had in a long time. Her hair was down and curled to the side, her skin glowed, and her ring glistened in the light. She looked like she should be happy but didn’t feel it at all, however she knew she’d had to use her acting skills to get through the night. She really regretted going alone, she inwardly wondered if it was too late to ask Jade to tag along. 

“You see girl! You look great!” Troye cheered, giving her a hefty clap.

Cat blushed slightly, “I guess.” She giggled. 

Melissa laughed along with them, sitting on the couch with a sigh. “It’s almost four, you ready or what?” 

“Huh? Oh, yeah I guess.” Cat murmured, biting her lip slightly. 

“C’mon girl! There’s no need to be so down!” Troye stated, trying to cheer her up.

Melissa nodded her head in agreement with the other stylist, “Yeah, is everything okay? You should be ecstatic right now! It’s not every day you get to be on the red carpet.”

Cat gave the both of them a broad smile, hoping neither of them saw how forced it was. She hated how everyone seemed to brush off her pain like she was a child, she lost her everything. There was no way they actually expected her to be fine. “I’m fine guys. It’s just my first time without Robbie, that’s all.” 

Both of her stylists smiles faltered, giving her a sympathetic look. It almost made Cat feel sick. She was about to speak again when she was interrupted from a honk coming from outside. Cat quickly put on her heels before grabbing her belongings and running to the door. “Wait!” she yelped before quickly running into her bedroom. 

Troye and Melissa watched her with confusion until she popped out with Rex in her arms. They both felt sadness for her, they knew it was going to be a rough night, especially when she requested waterproof makeup. They had each decided to try their best to cheer her up but they had no idea how the night would end. “Ok, bye for real this time. I love you guys, you already know the drill. Thanks a bunch!” 

Cat spent the whole ride trying her best to calm her nerves, she tried everything Robbie had always done with her but it didn’t feel right without him. She clutched Rex tightly as she tried her best to breathe. Just when she believed she had gotten it under control her limo driver lowered the window that divided them. “I heard the news, my condolences Miss Valentine.” 

Her eyes almost watered at the name she was called, she wanted so bad to be Shapiro but it was too late now. “Thank you Rodger.” She murmured, burying her face in Rex’s soft hair as she fought tears. 

With a grim expression, Rodger slowly lifted the divider. He was her normal driver so he definitely felt the effect of her being alone in the back of his limo. He often heard laughter from the couple, but now he only managed to hear her stray whimpers and sniffles. 

The drive had only lasted a few more minutes until he pulled up behind another limo, he lowered the window and alerted Cat that she’d be up next. “I- uhm, okay.” She murmured, clearly struggling to get her breathing in check. 

It wasn’t hard for Rodger to see that she was anxious. He gave the girl a gentle smile, “You’ll do great, Cat. He’d be proud.” 

Cat’s jaw dropped slightly before nodding with a small, shaky smile. “Thank you.” 

Cat gathered her purse and Rex, praying to whatever god was out there that she’d make it through the night without anyone pointing out how bloated she looked. “Good luck.” Called Rodger from the back, giving her a thumbs up. 

She gave him a genuine smile and took one last breath before exiting the car and onto the start of the carpet. She quickly felt silence overcome the crowd and all eyes on her. She suddenly wanted to disappear, regretting every thought that made it seem like she’d be okay. She wouldn’t, there was no way she could do this. She quickly felt her heartbeat quicken and her breath become uneasy. 

_It’s okay, Cat. I’m right here beside you. Breathe._

Her eyes widened as she could’ve sworn she heard Robbie’s voice, a chill running down her spine causing her to shudder. The sound of his voice quickly calmed her nerves, reminding her to make sure to breathe. She looked directly at the cameras and other celebrities and gave a small wave. She felt unattached from them, but part of her was hopeful she’d make it through the night. Especially if Robbie was next to her. 

It did not take long for the paparazzi to swarm her and many interviewers to begin and ask her questions. She quickly made her way across the carpet, trying to make the experience quick and painless. 

“Cat look over here!” 

“Is it true that Robbie is dead?”

“How have you been coping without Robbie?” 

“Is that Robbie’s puppet you’re holding?” 

“Cat come over here!” 

“Cat, you’re not looking!” 

Cat forced a smile and stopped where she was supposed to. “Yes, this is Rex.” She replied, answering the first question she had paid any attention to. 

Cat looked to the side to see if other celebrities were getting the same treatment. She sighed when she saw it was just her, not to mention some of the other stars were giving her dirty looks. It made her feel guilty, not to mention the questions she heard kept getting worse. She had no idea that any of these rumors even existed and how anyone thought they were true.

“Cat is that an engagement ring? Do you have a new boyfriend?”

“Is it true that Robbie committed suicid after you broke up with him?” 

“Do you plan on getting a new boyfriend?” 

“Is Robbie really dead?” 

“Are you using Robbie’s death for publicity?”

Cat couldn’t believe how rude interviewers had gotten, some of the questions struck a nerve within her. She had to blink multiple times in order to not let her eyes water. She tried her best to ignore their disrespectful questions and demands and rushed off of the carpet. She held Rex tightly, her breath hitching as Robbie’s scent was still on his tiny suit. She avoided the gaze of angry celebrities and followed the guards into the building, ignoring the last shouts from the paparazzi. 

It took her a couple moments to find her seat and she quickly relaxed. Glad to see that the seat directly next to her was empty. She thought about placing Rex there, but decided that if Robbie was there he’d surely want somewhere to sit. She settled Rex into her lap and prepared to see the show. She’d have to perform in about an hour, not to mention she’d also possibly have to go up more if she won any awards. She knew she should be excited to but part of her was dreading it. 


	14. Pride and Privilege

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat has an encounter with another male celebrity at the Award ceremony. 
> 
> Once again, I’ve never been to one of the these and I don’t really watch them so I’m really only guessing how these things work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I’ve never been to one of the these and I don’t really watch them so I’m really only guessing how these things work.

Cat hated to admit it, but she had never realized just how boring these shows were. She couldn’t help but notice that it was Robbie who had made these so exciting. She was only dreading everything about the night. She gripped Rex tighter, ignoring what was happening on the stage. She closed her eyes and tried to take every ounce of Robbie she could from Rex, secretly hoping that no one was watching her. 

_Cat and Robbie sat in the third row, watching as yet another vocalist won an award. They both clapped loudly, congratulating the winner. “I can’t help but feel that these shows are a lot more boring than I thought they’d be.” Cat whispered, turning to Robbie._

_Robbie gasped loudly, pretending to look offended. “How could you say that! These are so cool!” He shouted, looking amazed at all the lights and screens._

_Cat glanced at him for a moment, “But it’s really just a lot of sitting, I don’t know why you like these so much.”_

_He quickly reached for her hand and squeezed it, hoping his wasn’t too sweaty. “I finally get to see you get appreciation for all your hard work. I love it.” He murmured, giving her a wide smile._

_His words caused her heart to beat loudly in her chest, she entwined their fingers together while blushing. “I love you.”_

_“I love you more.” He whispered, giving her soft peck on the lips_

_“You have no idea.”_

Cat was shaken out of her thoughts when she noticed everyone was looking at her. She felt her breath quicken when everyone was clapping and some were shouting her name. She was clearly confused until she noticed her name was presented on most of the screens. She quickly looked at the stage and noticed how the announcer, Alex Smith, a male vocalist that was around her age and hot in the industry, was awaiting her arrival. It was then when she noticed that she had won the award and she didn’t even know what it was for. 

Within a moment's notice, her cheeks red hot from embarrassment, she was on her way to accept whatever she had won. She left Rex behind on her seat, quickly regretting when she felt empty without him. She tried her best to make sure she waved and smiled but couldn’t help but feel so alone in such a big group of people. Even when she knew most of the stars, it felt like Rex was her only friend. 

She rushed up the steps of the stage, trying her best to get everything done with quickly. She gave the man gifting her with the award, Alex Smith, a smile before gently taking it from him. She held onto it with shaky hands before going up to the mic. Alex stood directly next to her, wrapping an arm around her waist in a tight hug. 

“Thank you guys so much, I really can’t believe this. I’d like to thank my fans, my friends, and,” Cat bit her lip, struggling to say his name. Her mind especially couldn’t focus because of the feel of Alex’s arm low on her waist, she had no idea when he had gotten so close, she could basically feel his breath on the side of her neck. It caused her to feel dirty. She couldn’t fathom why he was trying to flirt with her. “I’d like to give a big thank you to Robbie for always being there for me. I love you.” She finished, grabbing Alex’s hand from her waist and pulling it off with a weak harshness before taking a step away from him and walking back to her seat. 

She tried her best to ignore the feeling of his gaze burning into the back of her head as everyone around her clapped for her. She dizzily sat in her seat, grabbing rex in a tight hug as she waited for the night to end. 

She had no idea whether to be happy or extremely nervous when it was her time to escape to the back to prepare for her performance. She felt ready to throw up and she couldn’t tell if it was from the baby or her anxiety. She really regretted not forcing Jade to come with her, she felt so alone surrounded by mostly strangers. 

Her designers could easily tell she was nervous from how shaky her limbs were, however not knowing her personally left them stunted. She held onto Rex whenever she could, trying to convince herself that it wasn’t nearly as bad as she had made it out to be. All she had to do was sit on a piano as it was played and sing, however at the mere thought of it her stomach twisted and twirled in discomfort. 

She was sitting on her dressing room chair when she heard a hard knock, scaring her out of her thoughts. “I-It’s open!” She called back, playing nervously with her hair. 

“Hey, congrats on that award earlier.” Alex Smith stated, closing the door behind him as he entered. 

Cat gulped, clearly noticing the click of the lock. “T-thanks.” 

Alex walked over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder, causing both of them to look directly at each other through the mirror. Cat shivered at the feeling of his cold hand against her skin, “I was thinking You and I, Tonight, my place.” He stated, smiling proudly and boldly at the mirror. 

Cat slowly shooed his hand away and wiggled away from him before sending a disgusted glare at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Alex didn’t waste a second before sliding over to her and roughly grabbing her jaw to force her to look him in the eye. “Oh you know, We could have some wine, get a little frisky, you start to undress, yadda yadda, you get the point.” His voice was prideful and his blue eyes sparkled but held no life, “We could maybe even become a celeb couple, each of us would get tons of publicity.” 

Cat immediately ripped herself from his grasp before backing away from him. All she saw in the fellow singer was someone who clearly always got what he wanted and wasn’t used to being turned down. “You’re disgusting.” She spat, turning around before wincing from the harshness of his grasp. 

“We’d be a power couple, Cat, We’d be great together.” He replied his hands curling into tight fists. 

Cat looked at him shocked before her expression turned angry. “I’m not throwing away my pride so you can have a one night stand, like I said in my speech, I still love Robbie.” She defended, quickly turning away to exit through the door.

He quickly swooped and grabbed her wrist, pulling her from the door forcefully causing her to yelp in pain when she hit the wall. “Robbie is dead and a loser. You have no idea what you’re doing turning down someone like me.” He pinned her to the wall by her wrists, causing her to squirm in pain.

Cat almost flinched from his hot breath, but quickly took charge, her gaze reflecting just as much hatred. “I know that Robbie was and still is a better man than you’ll ever be.” 

Alex angrily pressed her against the wall harder, his knee pressing against her gut painfully, hoping to inflict pain on her before he left. With one last growl he left the room angrily, storming out and slamming the door as he left. “You’ve gained weight anyway, you’re nothing but a fat whore now.”

Cat instantly slid down the wall onto the floor before curling up into a pained fetal position. She held onto her small baby bump, the pain from his knee resonating painfully. She could already feel the bruises on her wrist. She held back her tears with a sniffle, deciding he didn’t deserve that from her. 

“Caterina, you’re up in 3!” Someone called from outside her dressing room. 

She shakily got up from the floor, quickly covering any yellow bruises with makeup before she rushed out of her room and into her place underneath the rising stage. Her legs were crossed as she sat on the edge of the piano, the player giving her a thumbs up. 

She took many deep breaths trying to prepare herself. But nothing could prepare her for when the lights in the studio dimmed and her set up slowly began to rise from the floor, lifting them onto the main stage. 


	15. My Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat’s performance + the aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW//: Blood 
> 
> There is a warning when it appears in the story!!

Cat closed her eyes, too scared to look at the audience as their clapping resonated in her ears. The pianist gave her a hopeful smile before starting to play the keys. Cat bit her lip to stop it from wobbling when the familiar tune began to play. She listened to the intro, her throat hurting from trying so hard not to cry. 

“ _ I've cried enough tears to see my own reflection in them _

_ And then it was c-clear _

_ I can't deny _

_ I really miss it _

_ To think that I was wrong _

_ I guess you don't know what you got 'til it's g-gone _

_ Pain is just a consequence of love _

_ I'm saying sorry for the sake of us.” _

The pain was evident in her voice, the silence of the audience made that clear. Her voice was raw with emotion, her hand shakily held the microphone as kept her eyes closed to avoid the audience. 

_ “He wasn't my everything 'til we were n-nothing _

_ And it's taken me a lot to say _

_ And now that he's gone, my heart is missing something _

_ So it's time to push my prid-pride away _

_ Cause you are, you are, you are my everything _

_ You are, you are, you are my everything _

_ I know you're not far, but I still can't handle all the distance _

_ You're traveling with my h-heart _

_ I hope this is a temporary feeling _

_ 'Cause it's too much to bear without y-you.” _

Cat couldn’t stop herself from letting out a sob, pulling the mic away from her face while shaking her head. She covered her mouth with her empty hand, trying to cover the fact that she had completely given up on trying to sing. The audience awed as cried through the rest of the song, each time she attempted to bring the mic back up to her lips to continue just ended with her crying even harder. She just shook her head as she cried, her sobs drowned out by the sound of music and audience. 

She felt terrible for failing everyone by messing up the performance but she had never been able to fully control her emotions. She knew it was far too soon for something like this, she had only wanted to stay home. As soon as the pianist finished and the stage began to lower she began to cry harder, once it finally touched the ground she was escorted to her dressing room where she resumed her sobs. 

She couldn’t help but feel that everything was so wrong now. She could see his smile when she closed her eyes. She could hear his voice and laughter before she fell asleep at night. All she wanted was to be in his arms again, preferably as they watched another one of those crappy, romantic films she liked. 

“Cat, they want to know if you’re ready to go back out into the audience.” Some random man with a headset on said as he peeked into her area. 

“Can I just go home?” She whimpered, her waterproof makeup smeared from her constantly wiping it. 

He sent her a look of pity before looking at his clipboard, “I’m pretty sure I can work something out.” 

Cat was led from the building by two security guards, hot tears still streaming down her face. After her failed performance they had allowed her to leave, she called Jade to pick her up, causing Jade to basically speed through the city to get her after hearing her sobs through the phone. 

Jade pulled up to the back of the arena, watching as Cat entered the car. “Babygirl, what happened out there?” She questioned, her hands resting on the wheel of the vehicle. 

“I can’t do this without him, Jade, it’s too hard.” Cat cried, Rex snuggled up to her chest as sobs wracked her body. 

Jade frowned, reaching out a comforting hand to pat Cat’s back. She couldn’t think of any words that might help her, instead she just put the radio on low and drove the poor girl home. 

Once they arrived at Cat’s place, Cat’s tears finally seemed to settle down. She had spent most of the ride staring out the window watching the moon, secretly wondering if that was where Robbie was now. “Have you eaten at all?” Jade questioned as they entered Cat’s home. 

Cat shook her head, “N-not since lunch.” She murmured, noticing that her designers had decided to leave early. 

Normally it had been a little tradition for them to stay and watch the show and then they’d celebrate together when she and Robbie arrived home, but now it seemed they wanted to give her privacy. 

Jade moved towards the fridge, noticing some leftovers. “Well then, Let’s change that.” 

Jade quickly warmed up the food, placing a full plate in front of Cat. Cat whimpered, giving Jade a puppy dog look. Jade however placed her hands on her hips, “You’re going to have to eat, Cat. I don’t care if you’re not hungry. And I’m not like Tori, I don’t break easily.” 

Cat weakly reached for her fork and picked at the plate, nibbling at a noodle. “Do you think anyone noticed the baby weight?” She mumbled, mindlessly poking at the plate. 

Jade raised a brow, “Is that why you’re not eating?” 

Cat sniffled, her empty hand going to her baby bump. “It’s a long story.” 

“Well, good for you, I have a lot of time.” 

Cat had told Jade the entire Alex story, shedding a few tears at some parts. She could easily see that Jade was getting frustrated and had hatred for the boy. “He said I had gotten fat, what’s that supposed to mean?” Cat exclaimed, her hands balling into fists. 

“It means he’s an idiot,” Jade snarled, cracking her knuckles, “It also means he is going to meet my scissors.” 

Normally Cat would’ve begged her not to hurt him, but Cat didn’t have the energy to. “Jade, do I have to finish this? I’m really not hungry.” She asked, placing her fork down tiredly. 

Jade bit her lip, contemplating her answer. After a pregnant pause she shook her head, “Let’s just get you showered and into bed, it’s been a long day.” She sighed, lifting herself up from the seat and walking into Cat’s bedroom. 

Cat quickly followed her, sitting down on the bed as she watched Jade prepare her clothes. She always enjoyed it when Jade acted motherly for her, especially since her own mom had always been too focused on her brother to do so with her. “Just uh hop in now, I’ll get you a towel when you’re done.” Jade murmured, looking away from Cat. 

Cat smiled slightly before escaping to the bathroom, quickly beginning to undress. She winced at the sight of the now purple bruise on her wrist. She still had no idea why Alex was so insistent on getting in bed with her, she had clearly stated that she wasn’t interested. 

She had never felt so disgusting before. She shivered at the memory of him being so close to her, his hot breath still lingering in her mind. She decided to prep the water to be extra hot, hoping it would burn the nasty feeling from her skin. 

While waiting for the water to heat up she stared at her reflection in the shower glass, softly caressing her baby bump. She felt sorry that the baby wouldn’t be able to have a father, mainly because she was almost positive she’d never be able to love someone like she loved Robbie. She already knew she wouldn’t allow their child to not at least know how good of a man he was and how much they both loved them. She couldn’t wait to meet his child. Their child. 

Once the water heated, she carefully stepped into the shower, sighing when the hot water touched her skin. She relaxed under the water, closing her eyes to properly wash her hair. The feeling of the hot water against her scalp caused her to sigh, her sigh of pleasure quickly turned into a yelp of pain as a sharp pain stabbed into her gut.

**TW//: Blood/Miscarriage for the rest of the Chapter**

Her eyes shot open as her hands quickly went to her baby bump. She let out a scream of fear when she noticed blood pooling beneath her feet. She wasn’t the brightest tool in the shed, but she was sharp enough to know that she wasn’t supposed to be bleeding while pregnant. She let out another scream of pain before sliding down the wall of the shower onto the floor. “Jade!” 

Jade, on the other hand, came running to the door when she first heard Cat scream. She cursed loudly when she found out the door was locked, she quickly started to try and break the door down, throwing her body weight against it multiple times. By the time Jade broke into the room she found Cat sobbing in a puddle of her own blood. “What happened!” Jade yelped, already by Cat’s side. 

Cat gripped Jade’s hand tightly, squeezing it as another bout of pain shot through her body. “I d-don’t know! I can’t lose the b-baby Jade! I can’t!” She cried. 

Jade’s movement became frantic as soon as noticed Cat becoming loopy from blood loss. She shut off the water, unsure of what to do. Tears of her own were sliding down her cheeks as she watched Cat sit in her own blood, “Don’t close your eyes! I’m calling 911!” Jade shouted however Cat couldn’t seem to hear her, the ringing in her own ears too loud. 

Cat could feel herself slipping into unconsciousness, the pain in her belly and the stress of the situation becoming too strong for her handle. She let out one last scream of pain before her mind faded to black, her last thought being hopeful that her baby would live. 


	16. Better Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat and Jade spend time in the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miscarriage is still kind of mentioned in the beginning, so if you’re not comfortable you can kind of skip it.

“My baby!” Cat’s body jumped up as she woke up, her hand shooting to her baby. 

Jade sat across from her, an unreadable expression on her face. She was clearly stressed from the bags beneath her eyes, but Cat couldn’t read her expression. Cat’s eyes looked around the room to find a doctor sitting at the end of her hospital bed, quietly reading her clipboard. “Mrs. Valentine?” She spoke up, lifting her gaze from the clipboard onto Cat. 

“Yes?” Cat choked out, her hand gripping her stomach as she nervously awaited the news. 

“My name’s Dr. Brown, I have been and will be your doctor for your stay here.” She stated, giving Cat a friendly smile. 

Cat just stared back at her with wide eyes, tears brimming her eyes as she waited to be told that she had already failed at being a mother. She couldn’t fathom why they were both being so calm when the last thing she remembered was bleeding out on her shower floor. Her empty hand gripped the sheets so hard her knuckles turned white as a lone tear rolled down her cheek. 

“Right, You’re probably wondering what happened.” Dr. Brown chuckled, trying to keep the heavy mood light, “To get to the point, you suffered from what we call a threatened miscarriage. It essentially means that you experienced vaginal bleeding while still under the 40 week pregnancy gestation. In simple terms, the baby is okay.” 

Cat burst into tears at the news, releasing tears of relief. Her small hand covered her mouth to stifle her cries as an awkward Jade reached out a comforting hand to gently rub her shoulder. “T-thank god.” 

Dr. Brown allowed her to have her moment for a few minutes until she spoke up again, “On a serious note this was most likely caused by physical trauma to the fetus or stress. Though guessing from the bruising on your arm there,” She gestured to Cat's arm, causing her to cover it embarrassed, “I partly believe that both could’ve been a factor to this. Until further notice, I will be assigning you to bed rest. No music, no performing, none of that. And although I feel this is self explanatory, no sexual intercourse whatsoever. You may also experience a little bit of bleeding, if so, only use pads. No tampons. If you follow all this, the baby should be completely fine. We plan to keep you here for another day or so until we are sure we can send you home to continue your bed rest.” 

Cat listened while nodding, taking in her every word closely to not forget. Jade on the other hand sighed in annoyance, the doctor clearly talking her ear off. Her foot tapped the floor angrily until the Doctor finally left, letting a heavy breath of air before looking over at Cat. “You wanna tell me what really happened yesterday?” Jade questioned, her brow raising. 

Cat relaxed onto the bed, still recovering from the news. She could cry- and she did- from the news. Although most of her memory from last night was foggy, she remembered the feeling of hurt while she believed she was losing the baby. Her tears came quickly as she went through all her memories from yesterday, that entire day had her completely stressed however what she believed to be the main cause was Alex. 

_Cat turned away from Alex, storming over to the door, disgusted with the singer. Alex growled at Cat, his blue eyes filled with hatred. He harshly grabbed her wrist, pulling her back towards him before slamming her into the wall. The force of the push left her stunned and struggling to catch the breath that was knocked out of her. He pinned her against the wall by her wrists, holding them above her head and squeezing tight. “Robbie is dead and a loser. You have no idea what you’re doing turning down someone like me.” He muttered, his hot breath invading her nose from his short distance from her._

_Cat winced in pain, her expression quickly turning angry as he spoke bad of Robbie. “I know that Robbie was and is a better man than you’ll ever be.” She growled, wriggling to get out of his grasp._

_The feel of his cold, strong hands only got harder as his anger rose. He moved his knee onto her gut, pressing down hard to keep her place. Her breath hitched as she felt his knee dig deeper and deeper in her belly to hold her down. Just when she was certain she was going to break from pain he left her go, spitting one last demeaning word at her before leaving her alone. “You’ve gained weight anyway. You’re nothing but a fat whore now.”_

Cat gasped when she remembered, her fingers grazing the purple bruise on her wrist. “Alex.” She whispered. 

Jade shot up from her seat and to Cat’s bedside, her hands gripping the railing. “What?!” She growled, clearly angry with the so-called lover boy. 

Cat jumped at Jade’s demeanor, moving her hands up to defend herself. “I d-don’t know, he just didn’t take my rejection well.” She whimpered, calming down when Jade did. 

Jade sat back down and relaxed, crossing her legs as she sat back. “Elaborate.” 

“Huh?” 

“Explain it more!” 

Cat quickly nodded, her hands resting back on her belly. “I just remembered that when I rejected him he didn’t take it well. He grabbed my wrists, that’s- and pinned me to the wall, and then-then he k-kneed me in the gut. I-I don’t know w-why.” Cat hardly even noticed that she had started to cry while telling Jade what happened.

Jade’s hard demeanor softened, her hand softly petting Cat’s hair. “I’m sorry, it’s not your fault.” She murmured. 

Cat leaned into Jade’s touch, whimpering softly before letting her sobs escape. “I was s-so scared I-I was gonna lose my b-baby.” She hiccuped, her hands holding her barely there belly. 

Jade bit her lip softly, inwardly sighing before getting into the bed next to Cat and pulling her into a hug. Cat wrapped her arms around Jade’s waist and buried her head in her chest to resume her crying. “I know, babygirl, I know.” Jade awkwardly comforted. 

Just when Jade was almost certain that she had fallen asleep, Cat’s breathing had settled down and she was awfully quiet, she spoke up. “There’s no way he could love me now. He’d be so disappointed in me.” Cat sniffled, “I’m such a mess.” 

Jade’s eyes nearly popped from their sockets, clearly shocked that Cat would even consider what she had said. Jade stiffened for a second, unsure of what to say. Cat had her doubtful moments, especially moments like before she had released music, but Jade has never seen her doubt her and Robbie’s relationship. “I almost killed his… our b-baby.” Cat added, small tears rolling down her cheeks. 

“Cat,” Jade said exasperated, “What happened yesterday wasn’t your fault.” 

Cat shook her head, her bottom lip wobbling. “But if only I hadn’t led him on.” She whimpered, using her hand to wipe her eyes. 

Jade had to stop herself from losing face in front of Cat, she really couldn’t believe what the girl was saying. “Cat, you didn’t lead him on. He was just being a jerk,” Cat shook her head in disagreement and looked away, causing Jade to grab the sides of her face and hold her in place, directly staring at each other, “Robbie knows how much you love that baby and he would never, ever think otherwise. He thought so highly of you and wouldn’t stop thinking highly of you just because of a stupid accident.” 

Cat’s tears came even harder as she silently listened to Jade speak. Jade almost never spoke so maturely that it almost frightened Cat, especially since she couldn’t look away. “You know Robbie loves you, right?” Cat nodded her head slowly from between Jade’s hands, her lips quivering as she slowly broke down once more. “Babygirl- come here.” 

Cat collided with Jade, her arms wrapping tightly around her as she let out loud sobs. Tears poured from her eyes and snot dripped from her nose, all successfully getting onto Jade’s shirt. Jade rubbed Cat’s back, her noisy cries not stopping for a while as she let out everything she’d been holding back. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you skipped the main part, basically the Baby is going to be fine. or will it? 🤭🤭


	17. Words Are Forever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat gets a phone call from her manager and her friends meet her in the hospital.

Cat slowly opened her eyes, realizing she had fallen into a deep slumber while crying earlier. Lots of time had passed, that was clear by the dim night lights of the hospital room and the darkness coming from outside the windows. She frowned when she noticed Jade had left, probably from the end of visiting hours. Her frown disappeared when she saw that Jade had been replaced by Rex, quickly, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him tight to her chest. 

She felt empty of tears, her body was almost tired of crying. She hadn’t felt complete joy since the last night she was with Robbie. Her life after the accident only seemed to go down hill, whether it was losing Robbie or being forced to be a single mother. She hadn’t even confronted her friends about trying to get her to give up her baby. 

Her hope for happiness was left on the baby, she hoped that they would fill the void in her heart that Robbie left. Or at least create a new spot in her heart. The memory of her almost losing the baby made her stomach stir, she was only almost four months along. She still had over five to go and it felt like time was going too slow and too quick. She couldn’t wait to meet them and tell them about Robbie, but she was scared to become a mother. She didn’t want to be like her mom, her mom basically forgot about her for her brother. 

Cat hardly noticed that her phone was ringing before it had reached the fourth ring. In a rush, her hands stumbled to grab it from the bedside table to quickly answer it. “Hello?” She questioned, having forgotten to check the caller ID. 

“Caterina! It’s about time you’ve picked up your phone.” Steven shouted through the phone. 

Cat sighed, regretting her choice to pick up the phone. She had no idea why he was calling her so late in the night anyway, he was so invasive that it clearly bothered her. “Sorry, I’ve been... busy.” She murmured, deciding against telling him that she was in the hospital. 

“So, I assume your date with Alex went well?” He questioned, smirking through the phone. 

“What? No! I don't, we didn’t even- wait, how’d you even know about him?” She hadn’t checked her phone, so part of her was assuming that the news created some fake information but she never knew when it came to him. 

“Of course I’d know, silly, I was the one that sent him.” He chuckled through the phone, his laugh sending a chill down her spine. 

“What, why would-“ Cat nearly felt like puking again, this was all basically his fault. 

“But it wasn’t part of my plan for you to reject him.” He stated, his tone becoming dark. 

“I’ve told you so many times, Steven, I still love Robbie!” Cat argued, her anger rising. 

“Caterina Valentine,” Her heart sank at the use of her last name, she yearned to hear Shapiro, “There is no reason for you to be so strung up about that nerd, why’d you go rejecting your next big chance at publicity?” 

Cat’s jaw dropped, shocked from his words. “I’m tired of the publicity I have right now! Was this not enough? Is anything I do enough?” She shouted in a hushed tone, taking the other sleeping patients in the hospital into account. 

“Caterina, to make up for this I expect to see you in the recording booth early tomorrow morning.” His voice had gone cold, blatantly ignoring her previous comment. 

“I can’t, I’m occupied.” She blurted, her tone still angered. 

She really didn’t want to tell him anymore than she needed to. She only wanted to have privacy during what she considered to be her most vulnerable times, but he managed to ruin everything. 

“Not only do you ruin my plan of publicity, but you also don’t even want to listen to me anymore? You’re excuse is stupid, we’ll be having your production team over tomorrow. I expect you to be there.” He stated, seeming like no wouldn’t be taken as an answer. 

Both of them went silent, Steven waiting for an answer from Cat and Cat contemplating whether to tell him things or not. She normally never spoke back to him, having been told to respect people higher than her, but she was ready to snap. After all, she was the Cat Valentine. 

“Steven, tell them to cancel. I already told you, I won’t be there.” She hissed through the phone. 

“Caterina-“ 

“No buts, it was your stupid ideas that put me in the hospital in the first place! And then you have the audacity to ignore my hurting and want to put me in danger! I’m not doing things like you want anymore! If I’m going to do something, it’s going to be at my own pace. And right now I’m taking a break from everything for a few months, I don’t care.” She interrupted, hanging up the phone before she could get any back talk. 

She slowly relaxed onto the bed after the tiny outburst, blowing a hot breath of air. She had no idea how he’d react but she was not going to let him break her, even if she was terrified of what he could do. She carefully placed her phone back down, choosing not to see any of the possible new rumors from the award show and snuggled close to Rex. 

She smiled softly at Rex, thinking about how if he could speak he’d probably argue with her about not wanting to be cuddled like a stuffed animal. He always just wanted to be between his north ridge girls, but maybe he’d be happy to be so close to any girl. She liked to imagine that he was being held against his will, even though he secretly enjoyed it. If only he didn’t need Robbie to speak. Cat slowly fell asleep again to the sound of her own breathing.

The next morning Cat woke up to see the gang already piled into her hospital room. The sight of it much too familiar to the worst morning of her life, the day she discovered Robbie died. Tears filled her eyes but she didn’t want to cry. “Good morning!” Tori greeted her voice, already too cheerful for Cat. 

“Hey.” She said back, not reciprocating the joy. 

Jade made her way to Cats bedside, her hand softly petting Cat’s head. “How are you feeling?” 

Cat leaned into her touch and looked her in the eye, it didn’t take long for her to remember the phone call from last night. Her lip wobbled as she let it really sink in, Steven had really tried to replace Robbie for her and it had almost caused her to lose her baby. Tears quickly filled her eyes as her face scrunched up with sadness. 

“Babygirl, what happened?” Jade questioned. 

Cat reached for a hug, burying her face in Jade’s neck when Jade allowed it. Jade rubbed Cat’s back, attempting to comfort her. She quickly glared at Tori, her eyes sending death threats about ever mentioning this. She hated acting soft in front of her, it made her feel weak. Jade turned back to Cat, petting her hair and rubbing circles into her back. “Steven … he… awful.” Cat sobbed, most of her words incomprehensible through her hiccups and attempts to catch her breath. 

“Kitty-cat, calm down. Take a deep breath.” Jade murmured, helping Cat catch her breath. 

Andre, Beck, and Tori sat awkwardly in the room, none of them having been caught up on what happened. Jade refused to tell them, saying that if Cat wanted them to know, she’d tell them herself. All they knew was that something bad happened to Cat and that they weren’t allowed to stress her out.

“Now do you want to tell me what happened?” Jade asked once Cat’s sobs settled down into tears. 

“Steven was the one that sent Alex. His plan was to replace Robbie and- and-“ Cat cried, stopping when she felt herself become too overwhelmed. 

Jade growled, angry at Cat’s dumb manager. If she had the chance, she would love for him to meet her scissors. “Who’s Alex?” Tori questioned quietly, looking at the other two boys to see them just shrug. 

Cat quietly scooted over, making it clear she wanted Jade to lay with her. Once Jade obliged, Cat cuddled into Jade, still holding onto Rex. “Cat, do you want to tell them?” Jade whispered, her arm resting on Cat’s shoulder. 

She quickly shook her head, “Can you?” 

While the others just waited to be told, Beck couldn’t help but feel frustrated. Jade had always been open in their relationship and told him everything, but ever since everything happened she had been more closed off. It angered him to see her coddle Cat when half the time it felt like he was sleeping alone in their bed. 

“Cat almost had a miscarriage,” At this, Cat’s hands gripped Jade’s shirt tightly, trying her best to not lose whatever composure she had left, “I found her bleeding out on the shower floor, she had been assaulted by Alex Smith on Saturday.” 

Tori gasped while Andre frowned. “Alex Smith? Like the one that sings that song-“ 

“Yes, that one. Steven apparently sent him to get Cat on date yesterday, he didn’t like being told no. She almost lost the baby.” Cat cried as Jade spoke, softly shaking as her hands squeezed the fabric of her shirt. 

Andre cracked his knuckles as rose from the chair, “Where does this guy live?” He questioned, cracking his neck where he stood. 

Tori quickly pulled him back down into the chair, “You can’t hurt him! Are you dumb?!” 

“You can’t expect me to sit around and do nothing, he injured Cat!” Andre argued, crossing his arms. 

“Andre is right, he should be held accountable.” Jade agreed, rubbing Cat's shoulder as Cat was cuddled to her side. 

“No, no, I’m with Tori on this one. There’s no way you guys are going to hurt him.” Beck spoke up, shaking his head. 

Jade glared at him, hurt resting deep within her gaze. Beck just turned away, looking at Tori instead. “You see!” Tori shouted. 

“We have to at least call the police, he doesn’t deserve to be free. He almost killed her baby!” Andre yelled back, directing it at Beck and Tori. 

“We can’t do that either!” Tori disagreed, her head shaking harshly. 

“What the fuck do you mean ‘we can’t do that either’? He assaulted her!” Jade argued, moving forward as she got more heated, causing Cat to sit behind her and hug her back as they argued. Jade sat on the foot of the bed, Cat wrapped behind her with her face buried in her hair.

Beck sat back and watched silently, tapping his foot as they yelled about what they believed in. “We just can’t!” Tori called back.

“Why?! Because he almost killed a baby you didn’t want her to have in the first place?!” Jade bellowed, causing Cat to cry softly, “Or because you still want a chance to work with him when this blows over?” 

Tori’s words stumbled at this, finding herself stumped at a comeback. “It’s always about your stupid career, huh.” Andre bantered from his seat, shaking his head disappointedly. 

“Don’t- You’re as bad as me! You agreed about getting rid of the baby at first!” Tori stuttered, trying her best to keep up with the other two. 

Andre gasped, clearly offended by her words. “The difference is I was able to see how much she clearly wants and loves this baby! Look at her! She’s a mess at just the idea!” 

“Which is why it’s a better option. She’s not stable enough to raise a baby without Robbie! Not like he’d be much better! It’d be better for all of us if the stupid baby was killed by the dumb miscarriage!” Tori’s hands shot to her mouth once the words escaped, regretting them immediately. 

The silence in the room was deafening as they all turned to Cat to see her reaction. Cat sat there with her eyes as wide as saucers with tears streaming down her cheeks, wondering if her ears were deceiving her. She softly began to shake her head, tears quickly running down her cheeks. “C-cat, c’mon you know I didn’t mean it like that.” Tori began, reaching to comfort Cat. 

Cat shook her head as she avoided Toris touch, backing away to the wall of the bed. Whimpers escaped her lips as she refused to look at Tori. 

“Your one job was to not stress her out, I think it’s best if you just leave.” Jade stated, her gaze icy as she looked at Tori. Andre nodded in agreement.

“But I-“ Tori began, stepping backwards toward the door. 

The two of them just shook their heads causing Tori to run out the room just as Cat broke down into loud sobs. Tori shuddered as she could still hear them from outside the room. She stopped at a random wall, sliding down it to the floor until she sat in fetal position, her head buried in her hands. 

From inside the room, they sat in silence as Cat shook with sobs. “I should go check on Tori.” Beck murmured, slipping out of the room and down the hallway. 


	18. Love at First Sight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cats stay at the hospital continued plus a little centric with Beck and Tori.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be a centric on the other relationships, so please bear with me if you want to see something like that 🙏🙏

Jade and Andre both struggled to calm Cat down, neither of them finding the right words to say. Cat currently hung wrapped around Andre’s waist as he carried her like a baby and shook her up and down softly. They had spent the past 30 minutes trying to convince her that Tori was wrong and the baby was wanted by them, but struggled. Cat was almost completely convinced by Tori’s very mean words. 

“Kitty-Cat, Vega was just being stupid and selfish, none of us are thinking that.” Jade basically begged, tired and sad of seeing Andre rock Cat like a toddler. 

“She’s right, little red. Tori is just stressed, we all are.” Andre agreed, rubbing circles on Cat’s back. 

Cat’s arms gripped Andre’s neck even tighter, trying to find comfort in his manly build. “T-Tori’s right t-though. I can’t b-be a good m-mom.” She hiccuped, her face buried in the crook of his neck. 

Andre shook his head quickly, patting her hair softly with his free hand. “No, no, no. We all love you and this baby, and Robbie loves you. And you will be the best mom ever to this baby.”

Meanwhile, Beck had just found Tori curled on the ground with her hair clenched between her fingers, with tears of her own dripping down her cheeks. “Tori, there you are.” He exhaled, out of breath from running after her. 

“Go away.” She sniffled, not lifting her eyes. 

“I’m on your side, yknow.” He murmured, sitting down next to her. 

“I didn’t mean it like that, I didn’t want her to kill the baby.” Tori began, her hands pulling her brown hair. 

“But you believe everything would be easier if she wasn’t pregnant, I know. I think the same thing.” He concluded, sighing as he ran a hand through his hair. 

“I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings or stress her out, I guess I’m just stressed out too. Andre and I have been struggling with music.” Tori added, lifting her head to give him a guilty look. The sounds of Cat’s sobs still haunted her even though it had only been a few minutes, they held so much pain and hurt that Tori could feel it in her gut. 

“I know how that feels, it feels like Jade and I are falling apart.” Beck blurted, causing Tori to look at him confused. 

“But you guys have been together forever.” She murmured, her eyes glossy with forgotten tears. 

“Ever since Robbie died she’s been so disconnected, I feel like I can't fix us. It’s like she’s disagreeing with me just to fight and I’m tired of it. Right now you’re the only one that gets me.” Beck muttered, looking directly at Tori. 

“Beck..” Tori whispered, looking back into his dark, mysterious, brown gaze, “I, I-“ 

Beck was the one that reached in first, grabbing her chin gently before leaning in. Tori didn’t put up a fight, only leaning in with him. In no time their lips pressed up against each other, sending a chill down their spines. 

Once Tori’s mind cleared she quickly pulled away, “No, I can’t, Andre.” 

Beck turned away too, shaking his head softly. “Sorry, I wasn’t thinking straight.” 

“Our lives are falling apart, aren’t they.” Tori whimpered, her head resting on his shoulder. 

“Yeah, Yeah they are.”

Andre continued to gently rock Cat until after they were certain she had fallen asleep, her light form easy for him to carry. He sighed, rubbing her back softly as she snored quietly into the crook of his neck. “There’s so much to do.” Jade murmured, her foot tapping the ground annoyingly. 

“What do you mean?” He questioned, staring mindlessly out the window.

“I mean do you know how many appointments she’s going to have to have now? Plus we’re going to have to plan his funeral sooner or later, and with Cat on bed rest, it might be left to us.” Jade mumbled, shaking her head sadly. 

Andre turned around, staring at Jade for a moment. Both of their expressions faltered for a second, sadness ebbing its way into their hearts. “Is it bad to say I miss Robbie.” Jade asked, her lip quivering as she held back tears. 

Seeing Jade try not to cry made him feel like crying so he had no choice but to look away, “I can’t believe he’s really gone, and it’s been so long.” He murmured, petting Cat’s hair for his own comfort. 

Cat shifted in her sleep, moving her head to rest on Andre’s chest. Andre had to close his eyes to avoid spilling any tears once he felt her small baby bump brush past his own gut, he quickly hugged her tighter, giving her a friendly kiss on the head. 

“The longest three months of my life.” Jade mumbled, resting her head in her hands. 

Both Andre and Jade could agree on the fact that they always saw Robbie and Cat as family, this meant that both of them would always be there for Cat. Neither of them could believe Tori and Beck, even if they loved them. 

It pained Jade to see Beck take Tori’s side, especially to the extent of leaving Cat just to check on her. She couldn’t fathom the way he believed they would all be better off in a world where Cat lost the baby. The same could be said for Andre. 

Each of them both perked up at the sound of the door knocking, both of them hoping to see Tori and Beck coming back to apologize but becoming disappointed when Dr. Brown peeked in. She gave each of them a look of pity when she saw Andre holding a sleeping Cat like a baby, “Good Morning Ms. West and uh-“ 

“Mr. Harris, or Andre.” Andre spoke, giving the doctor a weak smile. 

“Thank you, Mr. Harris,” She answered, looking down at her clipboard for a second before looking back up, “Now I know both of you are probably desperate to get Ms. Valentine home, however I’d like to set up an ultrasound to make sure everything is A-okay.” 

Jade nodded in understanding, glancing at Cat quickly before turning back. “I can trust you guy to keep her on bed rest at home, correct?” 

“Of course.” Andre cut in before Jade could answer, causing Jade to send him a look. 

Jade hadn’t expected to see Andre so eager to help Cat. She couldn’t tell if it was out of love or the sheer need to stay away from Tori. No matter what it was, she was glad to see him willing to help. 

“Good.” Dr. Brown smiled, “Now, I’d like to get her home as soon as possible. So if you could wake her up, we can get this thing started.” Once both of them nodded, Dr Brown left, allowing them their privacy. “I’ll be back in a few minutes with all the right things.” 

“Should I?” Andre asked, gesturing to waking up Cat.” 

“There’s really nothing else we can do.” She responded, crossing her legs as she sat back. 

Andre nodded before gently nudging Cat, rocking her softly upwards to jostle her. Cat mumbled a protest, shaking her head while snuggling deeper into his chest, her hand gripping his shirt tightly. “Little Red..” He whispered, slowly swaying himself to shake her awake softly. 

“Andree-“ Cat mumbled, tiredly wiping the sleep from her eyes. 

“Little red, the doctor wants to get an ultrasound to make sure your little doodle is safe.” He whispered gently, her hand only gripping his shirt tighter. 

Andre leaned to put Cat down onto the bed, but she clung on tighter, not willing to let go of his neck. “I’m scared.” she whimpered, “What if something’s wrong.” 

Andre patted Cat’s back soothingly, “What if nothing’s wrong? You never know unless you don’t check.” 

Cat slowly nodded before allowing Andre to place her down on the bed, already missing the feeling of being held. Although she’d be hesitant to admit it, that hour of sleep was probably the most peaceful she’d had in a while. She missed the feeling of being so close to someone, their warmth touching your skin and lighting a fire in your heart. Robbie’s touch was able to light an inferno within her heart. She already felt so much colder alone. “You guys can wait outside, yknow, I think I wanna do this first one alone.” She murmured, looking down and away from both of them. 

“Are you sure?” Jade asked, placing a hand on Cat’s shoulder. 

Cat nodded, giving Jade a shaky smile. “Yeah.” 

Soon both Andre and Jade left the room, assuring Cat they’d be back as soon as she was done or as soon as she wanted them to be. She herself clung to the thin sheets of the hospital, terrified for when the doctor re-enter the room. 

Andre and Jade walked out of the room side by side, both of them with their hands in their pockets. Jade nervously glanced at Andre, biting her lip softly. “Can we just agree to both be there for Cat no matter what happens with the rest of us. I don’t normally say things like this it’s just with Tori and Beck-“ 

“Yeah, I’d like that.” Andre cut off, smiling at Jade. 

Both of them were currently ashamed of their significant others, both for different reasons. Andre, because he couldn’t believe Tori would say such a thing. And all for a check or a chance at fame. It was disgusting to him. 

Jade, because she couldn’t believe Beck would agree with Tori over her. She trusted Beck to trust her and make the right decisions. She believed he was smart enough to make the right choice and often spoke highly of him, now she couldn’t help but be embarrassed. 

Cat sat on the bed nervously waiting for her doctor to return. She always imagined her and Robbie together for their first ultrasound and how they’d gush about seeing their little baby for the first time. She felt awful to be doing it without him. In a rush of fear, she curled into the sheets, hiding behind the thin cotton sheets. 

“Hello Ms. Valentine.” Dr. Brown greeted. 

Cat flinched when she entered the room, curling deeper into the sheets. “Shapiro, please.” She whimpered. 

She had never requested to use his name before, but in the moment it felt like the right thing to do. She was tempted to legally change her name(especially because of the ring) but with everything going on, she had no idea when that would be an option. 

“Right, Mrs. Shapiro.” Dr Brown spoke, confusion lingering in her tone. Meanwhile Cat’s heart was beating much faster at the use of the name. She had dreamed forever for the name, and just like she thought, it felt amazing. “I know you were sleeping, but I think you’d be much more comfortable at home.” 

Cat nodded carefully, slightly relaxing into the sheets. Her hands still held onto the sheets, attempting to grip something that would keep her rooted to reality. Dr. Brown noticed how tense Cat was and gave her a comforting smile. “Cat, there’s no need to worry. I’m almost one hundred percent sure your baby is doing just fine.” 

Cat didn’t have the heart to tell her she wasn’t completely scared of the baby being hurt and that she was afraid that seeing the baby would make everything much realer. She’d soon have to actually raise a baby alone. Instead, she just smiled back weakly. “O-okay.” 

The doctor could easily notice her shaky movements whether it came to the time where she requested Cat to lay down or lift her shirt. She felt pity for the young girl, especially after reading her previous charts. “It’s gonna be cold.” She murmured before spreading a small amount of gel on her bare belly. 

Cat flinched at the feeling, biting her lip softly when she saw Dr. Brown reach for the transducer. She couldn’t help but nervously shake once she reached to rub it across her baby bump. Her gaze looked around the room, wishing Robbie was with her so she could hold his hand. Part of her regretted kicking the others out, but she felt she needed to do it alone. After all, this was her family. 

“Mhm-m.” Cat said nervously, closing her eyes as soon as she felt her doctor rub the transducer against her skin and look up at the screen. The silence from Dr Brown left her terrified, those couple seconds she convinced herself that something was wrong. 

Her eyes softly opened when she heard Dr. Brown chuckle, “Look, there’s no need to be afraid. They’re completely fine, if not better than I expected. If you look at the screen, you can see them right there.” 

Once Cat stared at the screen, tears began to roll down her cheeks. Seeing her baby actually move and wiggle on the screen struck a string in her heart. The baby was a real living thing and now entrusted her to be the best mom she could be. She completely forgot about the cold feeling of the gel or weird feeling of the metal piece rubbing across it, her eyes too focused on her little baby basically dancing on the screen. She had to use her hand to stifle her cry. 

Dr. Brown pointed to the small screen, pointing out the face and body. “There’s your little baby.” she stated with a smile. 

Cat nodded, finding herself speechless. That was her baby she was looking at. She and Robbie made that together. It was made from nothing but love and that was all she felt for the little human. 

“It seems like we could probably find the gender soon enough, you’re a lot further than I assumed.” Dr. Brown smiled before writing something down on her clipboard. 

Cat just continued to nod, too entranced in looking at the screen. This caused Dr. Brown to laugh, “I take it you want me to print these?” 

“Please.” 

  
  
  



	19. Separate Ways(for now)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jade and Andre confront Beck and Tori.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oop-

Andre and Jade agreed to stay at Cat’s place to watch over her for the next couple of days, each of them leaving her home alone for a little to pick up some things they may need. Cat agreed to stay in bed, spending most of her time looking at the grayscale pixelated photo of her baby. 

Jade entered her home, ignoring Beck as she left to their room to pack her bags. She hardly wanted to even look at him, too disgusted with him to even speak. She couldn’t believe he agreed with Tori, how could he want Cat’s baby to die? She was mean, but that’s just plain disgusting. “So what you’re leaving just because I agreed with Tori? We’re not in highschool anymore, you don’t have to worry about her like that.” Beck started from the doorway, crossing his arms as he watched her. 

“No, I’m leaving to take care of a friend, but that doesn’t change the fact that what you did today was disgusting.” Jade growled, angrily throwing her folded clothes in the suitcase. 

“What are you talking about?” Beck questioned, sending Jade a dirty stare. 

“I’m talking about the fact that you and Tori agreed on the fact that Cat should’ve killed her baby. She was inconsolable, you basically told her that she was going to be an awful mother.” She spat, looking at him with just as much of a mean glare. 

Beck made his way over to Jade, placing a hand on her shoulder before turning her around to face him completely. “I didn’t mean it like that.” 

“Well it sure seemed like you did.” 

Beck let out a harsh sigh, “Well maybe I’d like the baby more if it didn’t ruin our lives!” 

Jade slapped his hand away, stepping away from him quickly. “What the fuck are you talking about? The thing isn’t even born yet.” 

“Oh puh-lease, that thing has taken all the attention from you! Ever since Robbie died all you’ve cared about is Cat, have you ever thought about how that’d make me feel? It’s like you don’t love me anymore! You might as well leave, it’s like I live alone anyway!” Beck shouted, stomping his foot down. 

“What?” Jade questioned, her blue eyes clouding with confusion. She already thought the argument was stupid enough, but she had been trying too hard in their relationship for him to just brush her off. Her expression almost faltered with the hurt in her heart but she kept it still, not allowing him to know that his words hurt her. 

“It’s like you’re not even trying to love me anymore! Is there a reason for there to be two feet of space between us when we sleep in the same bed? Do you need to not respond to me when I show you I love you? We haven’t even been physical since this all started!” Beck screamed, his hands pointing accusingly at her. 

Jade’s eye shot towards him disbelief, shocked he would even think like that. “Have you thought about how I feel? I have to watch my best friend suffer as she goes through the death of her lover! So sorry if I’m not paying attention to you, she needs me. It hurts enough to see her so broken but do you know how much it hurts me to have to comfort her knowing I get to go home to you?” She yelled, tears brimming her eyes. 

This caused Beck to go silent, he stared at her with wide eyes. His arms fell weakly at his sides as he watched her, her strong demeanor breaking slowly. “You know how disgusting I feel telling Cat everything is going to be fine without Robbie then I get to tell you how much I love you? Cat can’t do that with Robbie and it scares the shit out of me! She couldn’t say goodbye, Beck! And she loved the shit out of him! I have to tell her everything is going to be fine when I know it’s not! I know him being gone isn’t okay, everyone does! But that didn’t stop him from dying! One day you could leave just like Robbie and I’ll be all alone! I don’t want to go through the pain she’s going through, Beck. She’s in so much of it and I can’t do anything about it. That baby is the last thing keeping her alive at this point and you and Tori want to take that away from her. ” 

“Jade, I-“

“I love you so fucking much that I don’t want to lose you, yet all you care about is yourself. So sorry if I’m not in the mood to give myself to you, this is hard on me.” She whimpered. When he didn’t say anything in return she shook her head disappointedly at him.“You’re just as selfish as Tori.” She added, tears now rolling down her face. 

“Jade.” Beck moved to hug Jade but was quickly pushed away. “Don’t, I’m going to be back in a few days.” She mumbled, messily wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. 

“Does this mean you’re leaving me?” He questioned, the fear loud and clear in his voice. 

“No. I’m just taking a break.” She murmured before dragging her suitcase out the door before leaving. 

Beck stared as she left, his kiss with Tori replaying over and over in his head. He decided in that moment that he wasn’t going to tell her, after all, if she didn’t know it happened, there’d be no fight. 

Andre walked into his and Tori’s apartment, “Tori?” He questioned, quickly finding her in their living room. 

“Hey!” She greeted to fast, jumping to his side, “How’s Cat?” 

Andre gently patted Tori’s shoulder to calm her down, frowning slightly when he looked at her. He wasn’t sure if she had the right to know how Cat was with how she acted earlier. “What you said really hurt her, y'know. Little red is still upset.” Andre stumbled, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. 

Tori bit her lip, “I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings, It’s just hard to see you guys want to call the police on one of the biggest stars on the planet now.” 

Andre turned away, walking into the room. He couldn’t believe Tori at the moment so he wouldn’t even try anymore. He quickly began to grab clothes and fold them, hurriedly placing them within his duffel bag. This frightened Tori, she chased after him, grabbing his hands to try and stop him. “Don’t leave me! Was it something I said?” She begged, her eyes wide with fear. 

“Tori, babe, you sound like Trina with all this selfish fame crap. Do you know how much it hurt Cat to know you care more about Alex Smith, someone who hurt her, more than her and her baby? That’s not some fun chiz man.” Andre said, shaking his head softly. 

Tori stared at Andre, biting her lip as she searched for an answer. “I’m sorry, it’s just hard for me to get my music out. I become blinded by-“ 

“It’s not me who you should be apologizing to, it’s Cat. I don’t mean to make you feel guilty, but what you said earlier really hurt Cat.” Andre didn’t stop speaking when he saw Tori whimper, instead he placed his hand on her cheek and moved her to look at him, “I don’t think you realize how your words matter to her, you’re one of her best friends, of course what you say is going to have an effect on her.” 

She hardly let his words sink in, making it look like most of them went in one ear and out the other. “Then why are you packing your things?” She asked quickly. 

Andre moved his hand, going back to his bag to stuff more things into it. “Me and Jade are going to be watching over Cat, we want to be there 24/7 to make sure something doesn’t happen when we’re supposed to be asleep.” He murmured. 

Tori’s eyes sparkled with an idea, she quickly grabbed Andre’s bicep, gaining his attention. “Let me come with you! It’ll be great, I could apologize to her and then we could spend time as friends-“ 

Andre gently grabbed Tori’s hand, pulling it off of his arm before gently holding onto it and shaking his head. “Baby, no. That’s not a good idea, I’m positive Cat’s not ready to speak to you yet.” 

“You don’t know that!” Tori argued, softly hitting her fists against his chest. 

“Well now I’m certain you have no idea how much your words hurt her. Do you have any idea how bad it was? She cried herself to sleep, neither me or Jade could calm her down.” Andre murmured, looking away from Tori. 

“That is why I want to apologize while I still have the chance, who knows maybe she wants to do some music.” Tori said, turning around to pack her own things. 

Andre swiftly stopped her, his expression as he looked at her. “Tori, you’re not listening to me. Stop thinking about music for one second, think about how you can apologize to Cat. Until then, give Cat time, soon she’ll be ready, but not now.” He gently grabbed her hands, bringing them up to give her knuckles a gentle kiss, “Promise me you won’t come to Cat’s until we say it’s fine.” 

“Andre-“ 

“Promise me.” He murmured softly, looking at Tori with a soft expression. 

“F-fine, I promise.” Tori said after a long pause. 

Andre smiled at Tori before giving her a soft kiss on the temple, before pulling away and turning to his bags. His heart ached because he couldn’t help but feel nothing as he looked at Tori, especially when she whimpered from zero lip to lip action. Tori moved to the doorway, leaning on it as she watched him move. “Do I have to worry about you doing anything?” She asked quietly, her voice hardly above a whisper. 

Andre’s eyes shot towards her, clearly shocked by the question. “W-what? No! Jade and Cat are like my sisters, that’s gross.” 

Tori followed him as he left the door, still not completely convinced. “Well, I love you!” She shouted from the front door, her kiss with Beck playing over in her mind. She couldn’t help but reach a hand to touch her lips, the sparks from the kiss still leaving a tingle. 

“I know.” Andre called back from the car, quickly pulling out and leaving so he wouldn’t have to be with Tori much longer. He frowned on his way to Cat’s home, angry with Tori for being so ignorant and angry with himself for trying to convince himself he still loved her when he didn’t. 


	20. Sick to My Stomach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andre and Jade take care of Cat after her first day home from the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As some of you may have noticed I deleted the last chapter 20, this was mainly because I really didn’t like where it was taking the story and it didn’t give me enough motivation to write. I chose to delete it and start over, sorry for not giving a heads up!!
> 
> I really do think that this is much better and I hope you like it as much as I do!! 🤍🤍🤍

Andre reached Cat’s home first, entering her dark home cautiously. He quietly placed his bags down, concerned as he heard quiet sobbing echoing through the walls. He rushed as he peeked into each room before finding Cat curled in a fetal position next to her bathtub. Her hands gripped her side while she tried her hardest to soften her cries. Tears rolled down her cheeks, she let out grunts of pain, whimpering when it became too much.

“Cat!” Andre called before falling to his knees beside her, gathering her in his arms. “W-What happened?” 

Cat’s face was scrunched in discomfort as she buried it in Andre’s chest. Her hot tears spilled onto his shirt as she shook in pain. “I-It still hurts!” She managed to gasp through her clenched teeth. 

Andre began to freak out quickly, trying to think of anything that might’ve been wrong that wasn’t the idea of losing the baby. Cat didn’t deserve that, no one did. He racked his mind for any explanation, trying to figure out what to do. He shivered as her hot tears stained his shirt, wondering if he was as scared as she was. 

He was snapped out of his thoughts when Jade, from seemingly nowhere, crouched down next to the two and took Cat’s empty hand. She calmly placed two prescription pills in her hand before offering a glass of water. Cat shakily took them with a sip of the water before relaxing slightly in Andre’s arms. She was still clearly in pain, but managed to calm down before it would be able to stop completely. 

Andre stared at Jade confused before she sighed, combing a hand through Cat’s faded red locks, her hair damp with sweat. Cat whined, leaning into Jade’s touch. “It’s cramps, the doctor said she may experience pain or bleeding. She prescribed pain medication just in case.” She murmured, her calmness scaring Andre, “I guess they’re stronger than I thought.” 

Andre stared at Jade’s eerily tranquil face, searching for any signs of stress. His gut sank when all he saw were the dried tears, leaving him to assume that she’d broken up with Beck. He decided against bringing it up, instead focusing on Cat. 

Cat looked up at Jade with hurt eyes, she reached for her hand weakly, holding on to it loosely. “Jadey, it hurts.” She whimpered, groaning in pain and squeezing Jade’s hand when the pain became unbearable. 

“I know, baby girl, it’s going to get better in a few minutes.” Jade murmured, giving her hand a gentle squeeze while brushing her other hand through her hair. 

They both watched as her whimpering quieted down, slowly falling asleep as her body relaxed. Andre let out a sigh when she let out a soft snore, her head resting on his chest. “How’d you know?” He questioned, glancing at her as she stared at Cat. 

“I could hear you guys when I came in.” She breathed, “I-I just didn’t know they were going to be so strong. It hurts to see her in pain still.” 

“Hey, at least it means the baby is moving, right?” Andre murmured hopefully, carefully lifting Cat up from the floor in a bridal position. 

Jade’s lip quivered before she managed to compose herself, her fear for Cat peeking through in her small moment of weakness. “Who knows anymore.” She mumbled, leading the two out of the bathroom and into Cat’s room. 

Andre tucked Cat beneath her duvet, sitting on the edge of the bed to keep an eye on her. His hand rubbed her leg soothingly while Jade sat next to her, her hand petting her head softly. They watched in silence as her brow furrowed in her sleep, whimpering softly before relaxing. 

“How’d it go with Vega?” Jade asked, staring at Cat’s mostly peaceful face. 

“Tori, she thinks what she said doesn’t matter. She only cares for music,” He scowled as he thought of Tori, his eyes rolling softly as he spoke. “I don’t love her anymore.” 

Jade lifted a brow, smiling softly as she listened. “What makes you say that?” 

“She’s a bitch. All she cares about is music and she thinks if Cat makes another song with her everything will be rainbows and sunshine. She still thinks Cat should get rid of the baby somehow.” 

Jade chuckled softly as someone finally agreed with her on how Vega was a female dog. But hearing his words made her scowl, it just showed how self centered she was. “Did you guys break up?” 

“No, I can’t bring myself to hurt her like that.” He murmured, clearly ashamed of himself. He had never seen himself as the weak type, but now he could hardly stand up to Tori enough to break up with her. He let out yet another sigh before collapsing on the foot of the bed next to Cat’s leg. He reached a hand out to Jade, poking her softly. “What about you and Beck?” 

Jade shook her head, glancing at Andre for a second. “He’s full of crap, he thinks that a baby that isn’t even his is going to ruin everyone’s lives and all that stupid chiz. I still can’t help but love him, though. And I h-hate myself for it. We just got into an a-argument again.” Jade started the sentence out firm, but it slowly turned into a broken stutter. The two had managed to work out their differences, their arguments mainly being left in highschool. However now that wasn’t the case. 

“It’s not your fault, y’all will work it out.” Andre whispered. 

Jade didn’t have time to respond before soft crying filled the room, they both looked over at Cat, noticing that she had woken up. “S-sorry.” She weeped, tears slipping past her eyes. 

“Lil’ Red, you have nothing to be sorry for.” Andre whispered, continuing to rub circles on her leg. 

“But it’s my fault that Tori and Beck are being mean. I’m the reason your relationships aren’t working.” She cried, burying her face in the duvet. 

Jade ran a hand through Cat’s hair, moving her to look her in the eye. “Kitty Cat, it’s not your fault they’re being stupid.” 

Cat shook her head, crying softly as she covered her face with her hands. “If I was n-never preg-pregnant you guys would still be h-happy.” She hiccuped, nausea settling in her stomach. 

“Cat, don’t say that. This baby is perfect.” Andre comforted, sitting up from the foot of the bed. 

Cat was about to respond when she felt her usual sickness overwhelm her. She quickly attempted to run to the bathroom, scaring Jade and Andre, but on her weak legs she only managed to get a couple steps from the bed before falling to her knees and emptying the contents of her stomach on the floor. 

They both yelped before rushing to Cats side, Jade having grabbed the small trash can in the corner of the room for Cat. Andre held Cat’s hair back while she continued to vomit, now into the bucket Jade held, tears running down her cheeks as she struggled to breathe. 

“I w-want Robbie!” Cat sobbed as her hands gripped the sides of the bucket, crying harder when she hurled once more. She hated the feeling of the burn going through her throat and nose, it was almost painful. She yearned to hear Robbie’s soothing voice, but her tears came stronger when she could only hear her own gags. 

“I know but you have to let it out, baby girl.” Jade hummed, rubbing her back to encourage her. 

Andre winced when he heard her heave into the small bin, weakly coughing with a sob afterwards. She gagged at the awful smell, nearly hurling once more when it filled her nose. She fell backwards, wiping her mouth with her sleeve while crying. “I’m so-sorry...I made a m-mess.” She whimpered, looking down at the floor instead of the others.

Jade stared the puke puddle, frowning softly before giving Cat a small smile. “It’s fine- it was just an accident.” 

Jade looked over at Andre and saw how he was struggling to not be sick himself, his face pale as he looked at the floor. She also noticed how Cat managed to make a mess on her shirt and sighed silently. “How about Andre gets you situated for a shower and I’ll clean all this up.” She spoke, lifting herself off of the ground.

Cat nodded shakily as Andre nodded gratefully. Andre carefully helped Cat from the ground, giving her a quick look over to make sure she didn’t hurt herself. Cat held her arms out like a toddler requesting to be carried, Andre being Andre couldn’t deny her and carried her to the bathroom, setting her down on the lidded toilet. 

“Cat, next time you feel sick, please tell one of us so we can bring you to the bathroom. I don’t want you to get hurt.” Andre murmured, rubbing her shoulder softly. 

Cat’s lip quivered as she nodded, “Sorry.” She whined, looking down at the tiled floor. Tears softly fell from her eyes, landing on her lap as she looked down. 

“Don’t apologize, it was an accident. I’m going to get a towel and a change of clothes for you, stay right here and I’ll be back.” Andre whispered, quickly slipping out of the room. 

Cat felt like a child having to get picked up after and cleaned up, but she didn’t have the energy to fight it so she just accepted it. She knew they cared about her and were trying the best with what they were being given but she really only wanted to see Robbie. He would’ve cared for her in his own, special, loving way. 

“Whoever said morning sickness only lasts in the morning lied.” Jade muttered as she squeezed the mop, preparing to mop up the mess. 

“I’d drink to that.” Andre added, looking through Cat’s closets for good attire. He knew she’d prefer one of Robbie’s shirts so he looked there first, “Hey, could you please get me a pair of Cat’s … y'know, her lady things- her unmentionables?” 

Jade chuckled softly, walking across to Cat’s dresser. “Too scared to look at them yourself?” 

Andre’s cheeks flushed slightly, “I’m not about to be nicknamed panty raider.” 

“You know me better than I thought because I would’ve totally done that, panty raider.” Jade laughed, quickly handing Andre what he requested. He took them cautiously, avoiding direct eye contact with the material. “Since High School.” He mumbled. 

“Just, uh, hand me her previous clothes and I’ll wash them now. I don’t want it to settle into the fabric.” Jade shouted to him before he disappeared into the bathroom. 

Andre re-entered the bathroom, finding Cat in the same position as he had requested. He placed the clothes on the counter before moving to the shower, the hot water steaming up the cool room quickly. He turned back to Cat, noticing she hadn’t made an attempt to move, her tears coming down quicker. “What’s wrong?” He questioned, kneeling to be eye level. 

“What if it happens again- what if this time they don’t make it?” She asked with a weep, hiding her crying face in her hands. Her body shaking softly in fear from the sound of the water hitting the floor. 

“If what happens-“ Andre quickly remembered what Jade had told them about finding Cat bleeding out on her shower floor, he frowned at himself for being so stupid. He placed a hand on Cat’s knee, rubbing it softly. “Cat, don’t worry, I’ll be right here the entire time. If anything happens, I’ll be ready.” 

“You promise?” She whimpered. 

“I promise.” 

Andre quickly helped a shaky Cat from out of her clothes, placing them in a dirty pile to give to Jade. He kept his eyes away from Cat’s naked form, keeping her modesty to herself as he helped her step into the shower. He smiled sadly when he heard her let out a squeak at the water touching her skin. 

From inside the shower, she nearly jumped at the feeling of the water on her skin. It reminded her of her pain she previously endured. She had to shake her head to clear the memory of her own blood mixing with the water down the drain. She shakily reached a hand out from behind the curtain, searching for something to keep her held down to reality. Andre gently took her hand, holding onto it and squeezing it softly. She let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding in and managed to get through the rest of the shower with mostly clear thoughts.

Andre waited through the shower holding on tightly to her hand, allowing her to know he was there. At one point Jade silently entered the room, quickly grabbing Cat’s dirty clothes to throw them in the wash with her sheets. Once Cat turned off the water he helped her out, still not releasing her hand until he reached for the towel. He gently dried her bare body, rubbing the towel against her skin to try and warm her up from the cold air. He tried his best not to look, staring off to the side as she stood on her shaky legs. 

Cat looked off to the side like Andre, ashamed of herself for needing help to do such a simple task. But with her body being so weak she struggled to even stand straight. Not to mention her hormones made her emotional and sad all the time. She felt like a child. 

She appreciated Andre but couldn’t help but be embarrassed with him being so close to her naked body as he towel dried her. Cat knew Andre was too respectful to look purposely, but she still attempted to cover herself. 

She shivered when the towel brushed past her baby bump, whimpering slightly. “S-sorry.” Andre mumbled quietly, quickly trying to speed up the awkward process. He partly wished Jade was here instead but he also knew he wouldn’t last a minute trying to clean up after Cat’s accident, vomit made him sick to his stomach. 

Andre quickly helped Cat into her clothes, pulling the oversized shirt over her head. The short sleeves hung close to her elbows while the hem of the shirt dripped past her shorts. He continued to help her by brushing out her hair, having had some knowledge on it from his own hair. He frowned when he noticed the red dye in her hair was starting to fade, her roots clearly showing from lack of care. He frowned even harder when he saw that Cat noticed, her eyes starting to water at the sight of her usual dark brown hair. 

“It’s okay, we can fix it soon.” He spoke, rubbing her shoulders soothingly. 

Cat nodded sadly, her tears managing to fall from her eyes. She made no effort to wipe them, almost too tired to move. Andre made note of this, turning her to face him before gently wiping them for her. 

He held his arms open for a hug which she embraced graciously, burying her face into the crook of his neck. He gently lifted her by her thighs, holding and rocking her up carefully while carrying her out of the bathroom into her bedroom. He was surprised to see that Jade had managed to wash and dry the sheets and clean the room completely with just the time they were in the bathroom. He smiled softly when he noticed she had even tucked Rex into the blanket 

Andre moved the duvet to lay Cat down into the bed. Cat quickly grabbed onto Rex, pulling him close to her chest like a stuffed animal. She watched as Andre tucked her into the blanket, making sure to be gentle. “Thank you.” She murmured quietly, curling into a small ball beneath the bed sheet. He nodded, “Don’t worry, I gotcha.” 

Andre stayed with her until she fell back asleep, which wasn’t long. It wasn’t hard to see how draining everything had been on her, she really did deserve a good break. Once he was sure she was deep in slumber he exited the room, making sure to not make a lot of noise.


	21. Everyone Knows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat tells the world she’s pregnant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just a short chapter so I can do a little time skip next chapter, I want to really let this story pick up a little!! Hope y’all like it!!

Andre stepped into the living room, finding Jade settled down on the couch with her laptop and a mug filled with what he assumed to be coffee. “Is she asleep?” She asked, looking up from her screen for a second. 

“Yeah,” He breathed, sitting down on the couch across from her, “What are you working on?” 

Jade sighed softly, taking a sip from her mug. “I’m trying to work out the details for the funeral, they’re starting to get impatient at the morgue.” 

Andre frowned, saddened by the idea of having to say a final goodbye to one of best friends. “Cat’s going to be crushed.” He whispered, shaking his head softly. 

“I know, but it’s been 4 months. I love her, but we need to do this. Plus we’ll be there to help her through it.” Jade responded while placing her laptop down on the coffee table. 

She hated having to decide things like whether to do an open casket or not. Robbie was her friend and her best friends, at this point, husband. It hurt to think of him actually being dead, she knew he was gone but part of her didn’t actually believe that it was forever. 

“Have you chosen a set date yet?” Andre questioned, glancing at Jade as she relaxed onto her couch. He noticed that she had actually had a chance to change into her pajamas. 

“There’s a couple days where the funeral home is free, the soonest is like 3 weeks from now. I think that’s when we should do it.” She murmured, reaching for the remote to the TV. 

“Yeah, it’s better if we get it done sooner.” He murmured. He lifted himself off of the couch and moved to grab his bag, he quickly grabbed a pair of his shorts before moving to another room to change. 

“What you did for Cat was really nice by the way.” He called to Jade, rushing to slip on his pants. 

“What? Cleaning the sheets? That’s nothing.” Jade grumbled, waving her hand around carelessly. 

Andre stepped next to Jade, jokingly poking her. “You tucked Rex into the sheets, don’t think I didn’t notice. You also left a barf bag. You have a caring bone in your body.” 

Jade snapped her teeth shut, reaching to bite Andre’s finger. “Poke me again and you’ll have no fingers to poke me with.” She snarled playfully, her blue eyes glistening. “Plus, the barf bag was for both of us, unless you want to clean up the next spill?” She added, avoiding talking about Rex. 

“So Rex just tucked himself in, huh?” Andre questioned, “Maybe he isn’t a puppet.” 

“I did it for Cat.” She grumbled quietly so he wouldn’t hear. 

“What was that? I don’t think I heard you.” He sang, placing his hand next to his ear. 

“I’ll kill you.” 

Andre awoke to smell of bacon and eggs, groggily lifting his head to see Jade already tidied up and making breakfast. He watched her silently for a minute, her hair pulled into a loose bun as she stuck her tongue out, concentrating on not burning the dish. He realized in that moment that she’d make a great mother. 

“I know you’re awake, loser.” She called, flipping the last bit of egg onto a plate. 

“S-Sorry.” He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. 

Jade laughed at him momentarily before grabbing a plate and cup of water. “Your plate is on the counter, I’m going to try and wake Cat.” Andre watched her as she made her way into Cat’s room. He rubbed the remaining sleep from his eye before going to grab his own plate, shocked to find out Jade knew what she was doing. The food on the plate looked perfect in his eyes. 

Jade stepped into Cat’s room, frowning as morning sickness clearly got the best of her. She saw her throwing up in the bag she had left last night just in case she had gotten sick again. She placed the plate down before moving to help Cat, rubbing her back softly to help her. Once she had finally finished Jade offered the water cup which she took graciously. 

Cat stared up the bag, trying her best to give Jade a thankful smile. “T-thank you.” She coughed, gulping down the drink to get the nasty taste from her mouth. 

“I made you breakfast, and you better not say you’re not hungry because for the past days you’ve only thrown up- it’s time to get that baby some goddamn food.” Jade smiled, handing Cat the loaded plate. 

Cat whimpered slightly, frowning at the plate. She really didn’t see herself as being able to eat at the moment. Jade noticed this and growled, causing Cat to quickly pick up the fork and stuff her face. As sick as she felt, it felt too good to finally get food in her system. She watched as Jade sat down at the foot of the bed, resting a hand on her leg. She gulped, scared of what she might say. 

“I don’t want to ruin the already poor mood in here, but you have to start thinking about how you’re going to handle the public part of this whole pregnancy. I know there’s only rumors now but they’re only gonna get worse if you don’t tell them anything.” Jade sighed, looking Cat in the eye. 

Cat had mostly stayed off of social media, Jade having been a big reason why. Jade didn’t want her to see anything she wouldn’t have wanted to, plus most of the pregnancy rumors were basically just calling her fat. 

“I know,” Cat started, swallowing another bite, “It’s just what will they say? I’m still young, Robbie’s gone- What if they say bad things about Robbie?” She whimpered, hiding her face in her hands. 

Jade moved towards Cat, gently removing her hands to look her in the eye. “Cat, at the end of the day this baby is still alive and some people will hate you regardless. It’s just what happens.” She spoke, her voice firm. 

Cat’s lip quivered as she stared at Jade, “Was that supposed to make me feel better?” 

Jade moved her hand to rest on Cat’s cheek, her thumb wiping her lone tear. “It’s best if you give the press time to get over your pregnancy before they’re born. I don’t want you to become bombarded with everything when they’re born. That’s too much stress.” 

She avoided looking at Jade by looking down, deep in thought. The last thing Cat wanted was for people to start bad mouthing Robbie, he didn’t deserve that. This was mostly her fault. “I- I’ll tell them.” She whispered, tears falling from her eyes. 

“Baby girl, you don’t have to do it right now.” Jade took the mostly empty plate and placed it to the side, pulling Cat in for a hug. Cat took it graciously, tucking her face into the crook of her neck. 

“No, you’re right. The sooner the better.” She tried to keep her voice steady but failed when it became clear she was struggling not to cry. 

Jade rubbed circles into Cat’s back trying to help her relax. She could hear the unsteady breaths that Cat kept taking in, her throat in pain from holding back her sobs. “I hate doing this whole publicity stuff, it makes me feel like Vega.” Jade muttered quietly, causing Cat to nod. 

Cat chose the best approach she could think of with telling the world she was pregnant. She posted a picture of the ultrasound she took, the picture still causing her to tear up with love. She left her fans with no caption, only the picture. To avoid seeing their response she quickly placed her phone down, not wanting to know what they had to say. However it didn’t take long for headlines to appear. 

_ ‘Cat Valentine Pregnant? For real?’ _

_ ‘Caterina Valentine Announces Pregnancy! Could This Mean New Boyfriend??’  _

_ ‘Cat Valentine Confirms Pregnancy!’  _

_ ‘Robbie Shapiro Has Left a Pregnant to Take Care of His Baby.’ _

_ ‘Cabbie? Is it Still Alive?: Cat Announces Pregnancy!’  _


	22. Goodbye’s Are Never Easy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robbie’s Funeral pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has a time skip of 3 weeks to the funeral, the next chapters will most likely consist of a bunch of memories

Cat shook her head vigorously, tears rolling down her face as she hugged Rex. “No, I can’t!” She sobbed, choking on her tears. 

Andre held Cat close from behind, trying his best to get her to calm down while Jade sat in front of her. They had told Cat what was happening weeks ago yet it really seemed it didn’t settle in until the morning of. “Baby girl we have to.” Jade murmured, causing her to shake her head harder. 

Andre and Jade were each dressed in black, Andre with a black slacks and a button up shirt while Jade wore dark jeans and a blazer. Both of them were prepared for Robbie’s funeral and were now trying to help get Cat ready. They were under the impression that she’d be fine today, the past couple of weeks she seemed to be closer to herself. Today, however, seemed to be a setback. She was thrown back into the start with the idea of having to face Robbie one last time. Especially with it planned to be an open casket. 

“I c-can’t! Then he r-really won’t come back!” She weeped, trying her best to hide behind Rex and disappear. 

Cat couldn’t handle the idea of having to bury Robbie. Not when she knew there’d be some of his family members, especially his meemaw. It wasn’t fair that she was able to get out of the car accident unfazed while he didn’t. She squeezed her eyes shut and placed a hand over the ring on her finger, hoping- praying that it wasn’t real. She knew it was stupid and childish, but she still had hope that he wasn’t gone. 

“Baby girl,” Jade quickly realized she didn’t know what to say. She wasn’t always the best with words, but now she really didn’t know what to say. She frowned, reaching a hand to rub Cat’s knee and frowning when she tried her best to pull away. 

“He promised me he wouldn’t leave and now I have to say g-goodbye? I c-can’t! It hurts!” She sobbed, grasping at her heart with her ringed hand. 

“Lil’ Red, if you can’t do it for yourself, can you do it for Robbie?” Andre asked softly. 

Cat considered it for a moment before nodding her head slowly, sniffling with a small hiccup. She messily wiped her eyes, trying her best to stop her tears. “F-fine.” She murmured, resting her face in Rex’s shirt. 

Although both Jade and Andre offered to help her countless times, Cat walked alone into the lobby of the service area, Andre and Jade far ahead greeting anyone who came. She avoided going into the main chapel, afraid of seeing his casket. She hid off in the corner, not wanting to be seen as the pregnant mess she was. She sat on a hidden bench, Rex seated in her lap.

“Hey.” Jessie, Robbie’s younger sister, greeted Cat, taking her out of her own world. 

Cat instantly wiped the tears from her eyes, trying to appear fine. “H-hey.” 

Cat looked at Jessie, finding her to be nicely dressed and perfectly composed, her face the void of tears, far from Cat. She was dressed in one of the only dark pairs of leggings that would fit with her belly and one of her only black dresses. “I’m sorry-“ Cat began, quickly getting interrupted by his sister. 

“Don’t be, it’s no one’s fault.” Jessie stated, with a small smile before pointing at Cat’s baby bump, “I’m sorry he left you with that, he knows better.” She joked, brushing a hand through her curly hair. 

Cat tried to give a little laugh, smiling sadly with the young girl. Jessie was only about 16 and had always been a fan of Cat’s music. Robbie always liked to call her Cat’s number 1 fan, it now made Cat ashamed for her to see her in the depressed state she was. 

“Are his parents here?” Cat asked quietly, looking down at the floor. 

Jessie sat down next to Cat with a sigh, “You know how mom and dad are, they wanted him to be a lawyer, not a comedian.” She mumbled, crossing her arms. 

Cat’s eyes watered at this, his own parents didn’t even show up. They had always been able to connect through their parent issues, Cat’s parents always forgetting about her and his parents not believing in him. But she was under the impression that they’d be able to put away their differences to see him one last time. 

Jessie noticed how Cat seemed saddened by this, she reached a hand out and placed it on her shoulder. “Don’t be too sad, Mawmaw and Granpappy showed up.” 

Cat frowned, “Sylvia never liked me, you know that.” She murmured, tears falling from her eyes. 

Jessie laughed, “Meemaw got over that a while ago, plus, it’s not like she likes anyone.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“I’m just as positive as your pregnancy test would be now.” She joked.

Cat held back a whimper, Jessie’s humor reminding her of Robbie’s humor. There weren’t any words to describe how much she missed his witty remarks.

“I’m sorry I haven’t helped at all, I’ve been busy with school and all that.” Jessie mumbled, playing with her hands in her lap. 

Cat shook her head, frowning. “I’m sorry you had to find out about the baby through the news, I-I just haven’t been on my phone or out of the h-house.” Her hand rested on her bump, it was now far too big to hide and was clear as day on her small body. 

“Don’t be, I know it’s been hard for you.” Jessie looked away in shame, as much as she wouldn’t admit it. She had often looked through articles to try and get an update on Cat. It wasn’t to be a super fan, just so see could try and be a good sister. Through her searches she was able to find many paparazzi pictures that consisted of a crying or sobbing Cat. 

The two sat in silence for a couple moments, each of them staring off into the distance at the lack of words. Jessie stood up with a sigh, her hands hidden in her pockets. “I best be heading off to the chapel, I know Mawmaw is probably waiting for me.” She stated, giving Cat another smile. 

“O-okay.” Cat whimpered, not lifting her eyes. She listened as Jessie’s footsteps disappeared, leaving her alone again. She knew the service started soon but she couldn’t bring herself to go into the chapel, too scared of seeing his face. 

Jade and Andre stood at the opening of the chapel, greeting everyone as they passed. They were glad it wasn’t a huge group, mainly only people who were close to Robbie whether it was close friends, family, or colleagues. 

“Thank you for coming and sorry for your loss.” Andre murmured, shaking the hand of another one of Robbie’s coworkers as they entered. 

Jade let out a sigh, “That has to be the last one by now.” 

Andre frowned, wiping his hand on his sleeve. “We still have to wait for Beck and Tori.” He mumbled, staring into the chapel. 

Jade looked down, biting her lip softly. She couldn’t deny the fact that she missed Beck dearly, he was the love of her life, but she knew she had to keep her hard exterior. “I know.” 

“Look, I know they’ve said nasty things- which I’m sure they have to regret by now- But today isn’t about us. We’re here for Robbie, not ourselves.” Andre spoke, glancing at Jade. 

“Robbie wouldn’t have liked what they said.” She grumbled, crossing her arms. 

“If Robbie was here they wouldn’t even had a chance to say that.” He added, resting on the wall behind him. 

“Okay, I won’t try to get into anything with Vega-“ “Tori” “Okay, whatever, but you know if she says anything about Cat I won’t hold back.” Jade muttered, cracking her knuckles for exaggeration. 

“Look, here they come now, let’s just give them another chance. I know Cat doesn’t like this as much as she doesn’t like the gang being in an argument, we should at least try for her.” Andre mumbled before standing tall to greet Tori and Beck as they walked over. 

Beck and Tori walked over sheepishly, neither of them quite proud of what happened previously. Each of them were dressed in the correct attire, Jade inwardly noting how good Beck looked. “Hey.” Beck greeted, reaching for a hug from Jade. 

Jade quickly accepted, the smell of his cologne nearly causing her to sigh happily. “Before anything happens, I just want to say I’m sorry. I was in a bad place then, we all were, I just want us all to be okay again.” He spoke, still holding onto the hug. 

“He speaks for both of us, this has been stressful for all of us. I know this doesn’t necessarily take back what I said to Cat, but I am really sorry.” Tori added, nervously rubbing her arm. 

Although Jade was tempted to snap at Tori, she held back, remembering what Andre had said. “It’s fine.” 

“She’s right, we’ve all been wonky since Robbie died. We shouldn’t let it split us up, for Robbie’s and Cat’s sake.” Andre said, giving Tori a quick hug before letting go. 

A quick expression of hurt flashed past Tori’s face at the cheap hug, still under the impression that the pair were indeed still dating. She was tempted to bring it up but quickly chose not to, instead bringing up Cat. “By the way, where is Cat? We can’t start this thing without her.” Tori asked. 

“She’s been crying all morning, I assume she’s somewhere hiding from the main funeral. I really don’t think she’s ready.” Andre murmured, glancing towards the red hair peeking out from behind the wall. 

“Can you blame her? That’s the father of her child right there.” Jade said while pointing towards the service area. 

Tori reached for Andre’s hand, gripping it softly with a squeeze. “Well, we best help her get through today then.” They all nodded in agreement before making their way over to her. 

“Cat.” Andre greeted, causing her to wipe her eyes before looking up. 

Her jaw went slack at the sight of Tori and Beck, scared that they wouldn’t have showed up. Her hands fell to her belly, protecting the baby subconsciously. Tori noticed this and frowned sadly, “Cat, hey.” She murmured, crouching down to her level. 

“You don’t need to treat me like a baby, you know.” Cat whimpered, hugging herself tighter as she turned away. 

Tori sighed, looking away before looking back at Cat, her crying face causing her gut to sink sadly. “Cat, I’m sorry. If I could take back everything that happened at the hospital, and before that, I would. I didn’t mean what I said, I was just missing Robbie like the rest of us.” She apologized, looking at Cat hopefully. 

Cat whimpered, keeping her body turned away as she looked at Tori. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she made an effort to wipe them, but they came down too quickly. “H-how do you think I feel?” She asked with a stutter, trying to keep herself composed. 

Tori was about to speak for her before Cat interrupted her rightfully. “R-Robbie always wanted k-kids, he loved the i-idea but I always s-said it was t-too soon.” She sniffled, attempting not to burst into tears but it was inevitable. 

“As s-soon as he’s g-gone, it h-happens! And now I have to say g-goodbye and he doesn’t e-even get to m-meet them!” She wailed, hiding her face into her hands. Tori looked down at the floor, suddenly feeling awful. She moved her hand to touch Cat but quickly pulled away, afraid of her not being a fan of her touch. 

With a gentle sigh, Jade removed herself from Beck and crouched next to Tori, her hand resting on Cat’s knee. “Baby girl,” She began, looking Cat in the eye as she looked back at Jade, “We know you love Robbie- hell, we all do! Everyone in this room could agree that he would be so fucking happy to be dad if it meant you were the mother, under any circumstance.” 

Andre sat next to Cat, nodding along to Jade’s words. “We all know he would hate to see you so upset about this, he would want you to be happy.” He added from the perspective of Robbie’s best friend. “He’d want you to be as happy as he is.” Beck said, putting in his own input. 

Tori smiled at the rest of the gang for helping, for once it felt like they could actually fix everything that happened. “We know it’s hard, but we have to finish this funeral.” 

Cat stared at all her friends, watching as everyone gave her a supportive smile. She knew they were right, but it still felt so wrong. They were supposed to become a family together, now it wouldn’t happen that way. Her lip quivered as she thought about it, tears slipping down her cheeks. “But it hurts.” She sniffled, her fingers tangling into her hair. 

“We’ll do it together.” Andre murmured, using a hand to wipe her tears. 

“Together?” She whimpered, looking at him tearfully. 

“Together.” Beck stated firmly, causing Jade to smile at him. 


	23. Stories to be Told

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robbie’s funeral pt.2

Andre carefully led Cat to the chapel by her arm, the rest of the gang leading in front. They each prepared to say their final goodbyes before Cat in case she wasn’t completely ready. She clung to Andre, hiding her vision from the casket so she wouldn’t have to see it. He rubbed her back with his empty hand as he stood. 

Beck was the first to the casket, he stared down at Robbie’s oddly peaceful face. “Rob..” He murmured, finding it sad to see anything but a smile on his friend’s face. “I, uh, watched your old videos on the slap.” Beck grunted, looking awkwardly to the side. 

He found it weird to be talking to Robbie. It was like openly speaking to someone at a sleepover in the dark only to find out they were asleep, something Robbie did a lot. But instead of them being awakened by the awkward laughter, Robbie just stood still, like he should. “It just reminded me about highschool, y'know. You used to sing those stupid songs all the time. I wished I liked them more then than I do now. It’s weird without you I guess. Cat hasn’t been doing well either, it’s not fun seeing her without you. You guys were attached by the hip, it was gross.” 

Beck felt tears coming to his eyes the more he spoke, he cleared his throat to try and rid himself of them. “What I’m saying is it’s not the same now that you’re gone. I-I… I miss you Robbie. and uh, goodbye.” Beck quickly turned away after waving awkwardly at Robbie, not allowing himself to get anymore emotional than he’d gotten. 

Tori was next up, tears falling from her eyes as she looked at Robbie. She had never expected any of her friends to leave, especially not Robbie. “Robbie, remember all those times you used to try and date me in highschool? Well I’m glad you found someone else, I’m happy you got to experience the love that you deserved. The love I couldn’t, and frankly didn’t want to, give you.” 

She felt her tears come faster at the sight of glasses, slightly crooked over nose from the amount of people that had spoken to him. “I’m not trying to remind you of my rejections, just the good times we used to have friends. It’s been tough without you and I’ve made so many mistakes and bad decisions as a friend since you left. I’ve been such a bad friend.” Her words became shaky the more she spoke, her hands gripping the edge of the casket. 

“I didn’t realize the effect you had on us. I couldn’t spread laughter and love like you did, that was proved with how successful you were. You have so many people crying right now, everywhere. I miss you Robbie. I don’t like how we’ve been as friends without you but I promise I’ll fix it, I’ll become better. For you. Goodbye.” Tori was scared to touch Robbie, but softly patted his arm before leaving, her head being held down. 

Jade stepped up the casket, a frown on her face as she looked down. “You’re a fool Shapiro, you always were and you still are. That was proven when you left this earth at the wrong fucking time. The mess you left behind is almost too big to clean up, especially because Cat’s morning sickness is horrible. It lasts past the morning, I hope you know that.” She growled, her lip curled as she looked down at him. 

She sighed angrily before resting her hands at the opening of the casket. “Robbie, You and Cat were the only good ones out of us. The rest of us are awful, I mean just look at me. Making fun of you at your own goddamn funeral.” She shivered as tears fell from her eyes but she made no move to wipe them. “Cat has been non stop crying for the entire morning and she’ll cry well into the night, she misses you. I knew it was a mistake to let her date you. You were too perfect for her and now that you’re gone we have to pick up the broken pieces. She was an idiot to love you as much as she does. I was an idiot to love you as much as I do. I miss you Robbert Shapiro and I hate it. I hate that I miss you and I hate that you are probably laughing at me wherever you are.” Her tears rolled down her angry face as she tried her hardest not to break out sobs. 

“ _You’re lucky you’re dead because I would kill you right now._ ” She sighed, shaking her head softly before wiping her tears to compose herself. “I’ll watch out for Cat and your baby I guess. Goodbye... for now, puppet boy.” 

Jade walked away from the casket and went to Beck, falling into his hug gracefully. She rested her head on his chest. “What a loser.” She mumbled under her breath. 

Cat didn’t want to let go of Andre, still in search of something to keep her grounded to earth. But once it was his turn to say goodbye she knew she couldn’t keep him to herself, she turned away, looking for someone else. Jade sighed, getting ready for a hug but much to her surprise Cat jumped to Tori, burying herself in a hug. This clearly shocked Tori too as it took her a couple seconds to reciprocate the hug. 

“Robster the Lobster… that username is still so stupid.” Andre murmured to Robbie’s sleeping face. “I don’t like that you actually became funny, man. Remember when you’d test your jokes on me before going thinking about using them on stage? I never gave you enough credit for how funny you were and your shows really proved that. You made everyone laugh, you do know that, right? And yes, even Jade.” 

His eyes watered and he let them, allowing himself to cry. “It sucks that you won’t meet your baby, but I’ll be there to tell them all about you, I promise. I’ll tell them everything about you, even the stuff you don’t want them to know, like Rex. It’s weird seeing Cat carry around Rex now that you’re gone. You know how dumb I feel when he doesn’t say something mean? He just sits there silently.” 

Tears fell down his face, catching on his chin before falling down. “Everything is weird now that you’re gone. I mean, did you know Cat loved Rex? Did she tell you that? He’s a lifeline to her now. Almost like you in highschool.” He chuckled at himself softly before placing a hand on Robbie’s cold arm. “We miss you. I miss you. I’ll see you soon, not for a long time, but I swear I’ll be ready to share everything that happens with Cat’s baby and Cat. Even though I know you’ll always be watching over them. This isn’t goodbye, just until I see you.”

Andre turned to Cat, finding her to be sobbing into Tori’s chest, hiding herself from Robbie. He felt his heart squeeze as he carefully made his way over to her. “Cat…” She shook her head, afraid of facing Robbie. “Cat, I know it’s hard. I know, but think about Robbie.” 

Cat glanced up, finding Robbie’s sister to be sitting next to his MawMaw. Jessie gave her a small thumbs up from where she sat, causing Cat to shakily nod her head. With help from Andre and Tori, she stepped up to casket, Tori dragging Andre away from her so she could be alone. 

Cat broke down at the sight of his face, it was just like she remembered it to be like. His soft lips, his chin, his jaw shape, hairline, eyebrows, it was all engraved into her memory and she’d never forget them. She shuffled closer, her hand falling to touch his cheek. 

Robbie opened his eyes slowly, nearly causing Cat to have a heart attack as his hand reached to cup her hand on his face. He smiled up at Cat, showing his straight teeth as he did. “I love you.” he murmured.

Except he didn’t. Cat cried harder as he stayed completely still, his body not even flinching at her touch. “Robbie. Babe. Sweetheart. Baby-” She cried, hoping he’d wake up at her names for him. Tears slipped down her cheeks as he didn’t move, causing her to have to wipe her eyes so she could see him clearly. She was quickly able to realize the things wrong about his appearance, like how his tie was clearly too tight for him and how his glasses were crooked. 

_Robbie laughed nervously as he stepped into the living room, stepping in front of Cat as she looked at him with her brow raised. “I clearly don’t know how to tie my tie.” He laughed with a gargle as it was basically choking him._

_She moved from the couch, walking up to Robbie to fix his tie. She had learned for this sole purpose, it seemed impossible for him to learn, and he tried. hard. She fixed it with gentle hands, “You never do.” She giggled._

_“As long as it means I can be this close to you.” He quickly stole a kiss from his lips, something that had become a routine whenever she fixed his tie for him. She giggled again at the peck, moving her hands to fix his glasses before wrapping them around his neck. “I love you.” She breathed before kissing him again, deepening it the second he moved his hand to her waist._

She loosened his tie with shaky hands, her hands trembling as she moved. The black fabric quickly became looser, from her knowledge, it was now more comfortable for him. She moved her hands up to fix his glasses, crying harder when he didn’t move in for a kiss like he usually did. 

She took in a deep breath of air before pressing her lips to his, her hand resting on cheek. She dragged anything she could from the simple kiss. The feel of his soft lift lips against hers, the smooth skin of his face in her palm. She held the kiss as long as she could, only pulling away before she lost her breath. “R-Robbie.” She whimpered, her tears falling onto his relaxed face. 

Her head moved to fall on his chest, her eyes closing as she took in the smell of his cologne. Her, now fixed, red hair splayed out onto his chest. Her tears fell faster as she heard nothing with her ear pressed against his body, not his breathing, not his heart beat. Nothing but silence. She opened her eyes looking up at his perched face, his lips in a thin line while his eyes refused to open. From her place on her chest she moved a free hand to brush her fingers through his hair, imagining the smile he always did whenever she massaged his scalp. 

“I’m sorry.” She murmured, her voice cracking as she looked at him with innocent eyes. “I’m sorry that you had to g-go. I’m s-sorry that you won’t be able to meet our b-baby. I’m sorry I was such a bad girlfriend. I’m sorry that I was too busy. I’m sorry that I’m so broken without you. I’m sorry that I’m a complete mess without you. I’m sorry that I didn’t go with you. That you’re forced to forever do everything from the sidelines. That I will never be able to hear your voice naturally again. That I’m selfish enough to be sad that all I have are videos and pictures of you when I want you. The real you. I’m sorry that I didn’t listen to you about Steven and it almost cost me the baby.” She weeped, shaking her head against upper body. 

_Cat’s hands pulled at her own hair as she stood across from Robbie, her face flushed with anger. He looked the same, her hand resting on the table as he looked at her with an angry expression. “Cat! He’s not good for you!” Robbie yelled, tired of their stupid argument._

_“What do you know! You’re not a manager! Steven knows what he’s doing!” She yelled back, defending Steven from Robbie. “He knows what is going to get my music out there!”_

_Robbie let out an angry breath, his hands squeezing the table. “Cat he’s a bad guy. He’s clearly overwhelming you! You haven’t had a single break in two weeks! You’re overworking yourself!” He argued, pointing at her._

_“You’re just mad that I haven’t had time for you! That’s all you want isn’t it! Sex? Am I correct? Is that all this has ever been?” She shouted back accusingly, causing him to gasp, offended that she’d disregard what they had built together._

_“What? Is that what you think? You think I’m not saying this because I love you? I fell in love with you, not your body! I’m offended you would even think that! I have been nothing but understanding about this but the second I want something it’s a problem? I want you to take a break before you hurt yourself. Is that too much to ask?” Robbie questioned, the hurt evident in his face._

_Cat noticed this and felt awful, her face falling sadly. She watched as Robbie’s eyes watered, her words cutting deep within him. She moved across the table, cupping his ch_ eek _in her palm to wipe his tears with her thumb as he bit his lip. “I’m sorry. I was being stupid. I don’t think that, I promise.” She murmured, being faced with the emotional man she fell in love with. “I love you.”_

_Robbie grabbed her hand with a gentle grip, kissing her knuckle softly. “I know, I love you too, but I’m sleeping on the couch tonight. Just for tonight.” His words caused tears to fall from her eyes, he kissed her eyelids softly before turning around. Leaving behind a regretful, tearful, hurt Cat._

Her hand that wasn’t against his cheek was gripping the fabric of his suite, wrinkling the fabric between her fingers. She made sure to keep her words at a whisper, afraid others would hear her. “Robbie, I love you _fucking_ much. I love you so much that I can’t find the words to say goodbye so I’m going to list everything I love about you. I love your smile, how your eyes get big every time you put on your glasses. How you’re so caring to me all the time. I love how you never treated me like dirt. I love that little gasp you do when you laugh. The way your hands used to grab my waist when we'd- you know. I love that freckle you have on the back of your elbow that’s shaped like Texas. I love how you’d get so passionate when you spoke about your favorite things. Every time you went with me to a sh-show. I could name a million things Robbie.” 

_Cat sighed as she entered the door to their house, sad to have been forced to go to the studio on Valentine’s day. She quickly took off her shoes, stepping into their apartment quietly. She frowned when she saw that all the lights were off, signaling that Robbie had already gone to bed._

_She felt her eyes brim with tears as she placed her bag down, walking slowly to their room to hopefully kiss him goodnight. Her jaw dropped once she opened the door, her eyes nearly bulging her eyes at the sight of Robbie._

_Robbie was laid across their bed in nothing but a pair of pink, heart patterned boxers. He was surrounded by lit candles and rose petals, his hand fumbling for the remote to their speaker before smooth jazz music played through the room. He looked at her with a smile, “Well hey there-“ He quickly cleared his throat, forcing his voice to deepen, “I mean hey there beautiful.”_

_Cat giggled causing his face to fall, “Is it lame?” He questioned, causing her to laugh harder. “It’s perfect.” He opened his arms for a hug, causing her to leap into the bed with him, their limbs tangling into a sweet dance full of kisses and ‘I love you’s._

Cat’s lips trembled as she took in a wobbly breath, her hand caressing his face as she lifted her head to get a clear look at his face. She tried to imagine his laughter, the way his eyes would tear up when he laughed too hard. “Robbie I’m lost without you. I’m scared without you. I wish I could still be with you but I promise I’ll try my best to raise our baby even if I’ll never be ready without you.” She cried, nodding her head as she continued to weep. “Please don’t make me say goodbye, please wake up. I know you can. Jade says you won’t, can’t you do it to spite her, please?” 

Her head shook softly as droplets fell onto Robbie’s serene face. “I-I know you c-can’t wake up. But please, at least know how much I love you. To the moon and back, a million, a trillion, infinity times more I love you.” She gave him another sweet kiss, crying harder when she didn’t feel him kiss back.

“I love you, I really do. I’ve never felt love so strong before I loved you.” she whimpered, pecking his lips at least a thousand times to get as much as she could from him to last forever. “Goodbye baby, I love you.” 


	24. When the Night Changes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat is completely heart broken after the funeral and the gang struggles to get her head back in the right place.

Cat could tell that her time was running out when she could hear a muffled conversation between Jade and a worker from the building. She stared down at him sadly, her brown eyes shining with tears as she stepped backwards from the casket, her legs trembling as she moved. 

Men from the chapel quickly moved to close the casket, alerting her that the service was over. She realized instantly she wasn’t ready, she was wrong. She still has so much to say to him. She shook her head, crying out quickly. “Wait! I didn’t tell him that Howie Mandel noticed him! Or-Or that his fans miss him! Or that I love the ring! Or about our baby! I need to tell him about our baby!” She wailed as the workers ignored her, closing the opening anyway as Beck and Andre held her back. 

Tears silently rolled down her cheeks as she watched as he was taken away from her for the last time, forever hidden in that horrid wooden box. The second it closed completely she felt her heart break completely, her body falling to the ground with Beck as he moved to catch her. “Cat!” He called but she didn’t hear him, the blood rushing behind her ears too loud for her to hear anything. 

She stayed silent as she buried her face into Beck’s shirt, her tears causing a wet spot. She didn’t care if everyone saw her, she had officially lost Robbie. Her hands rested on her baby as Beck’s arms were wrapped around her shoulders, trying to comfort her but failing miserably. 

She stayed there as time passed, watching as everyone left the chapel to go home. She knew her knees would soon ache from the pressure of being on the ground but she felt numb except for the pain in her chest. The pain only got worse when she caught eye contact with Sylvia, his Mawmaw, as she left. The older lady didn’t say a word, only giving her a look she couldn’t read. She assumed it to be a mixture of pity and disappointment. 

She closed her eyes, squeezing them shut to block out the real world that she hid from once more. Beck noticed this and hugged her tightly. She let out a quivering breath as she relaxed slightly against his chest, her hands covering her ears so she’d only see and hear darkness. The image of Robbie’s peaceful face was burned into her memory, it was all she saw as she closed her eyes. 

By the time she finally gained control back over her body stars filled the night sky while she was sitting at her dining room table, the rest of the gang around her as they slowly picked at their own plates. She stared blankly at the plate of food in front of her, tears still rolling down her face. She didn’t move to push the plate away, she didn’t even move to pull it closer. Her arm laid loosely by her side as her free hand grazed her lips. The last place she touched Robbie. 

Tori shivered as she swallowed another bite, Cat’s tear filled emotionless expression sending a chill down her spine. She had been like that for the past eight hours. They all tried their best to get her to react, whether it was playing old recordings of Robbie’s comedy shows or just random videos from highschool. Nothing had even caused her budge. 

Andre had spent his day alongside the others, trying to get Cat to show any type of emotion. He currently sat across from Tori, his mostly empty plate pushed to the side as he looked through the files on his phone. He knew, he just knew that there was a file Robbie had recorded at the studio a long time ago. It was way back when the pair had just started dating and Robbie wanted to give her something special that he later scrapped, saying it wasn’t good enough. He knew if he searched hard enough he’d find it. 

Jade sat next to Cat, raising a trembling hand to hold her shoulder. “Cat, you have to eat.” She pleaded for probably the hundredth time. It held the same reaction, Cat’s eyes shifting to look at Jade before looking back at the plate. Jade sighed, rubbing Cat’s back in circles. 

The gang already decided they would stay the night with Cat, afraid of leaving her alone. “Let’s just take her to bed, she’s clearly not going to eat.” Tori murmured, pushing away her own hardly eaten plate. 

Beck nodded, moving towards Cat as Jade moved to clean up the table. He carefully picked her up, already knowing she wouldn't have been able to move on her own. He sat her down on her bed, leaving Tori to help put Cat into some better pajamas. 

Tori quietly removed Cat’s clothes, changing her into what she assumed to be one of Robbie’s sweatshirts, skipping past the struggle of getting her into bottoms. The sleeves hung past her hands as Cat collapsed onto Robbie’s side of the bed. Tori watched as she curled into the sheets, her tears falling onto his pillow as his faded scent filled her senses. Tori pulled the blanket up to Cat’s chin, giving her a pat before leaving the room, the darkness enveloping Cat’s entire being. 

Once she was finally alone, Cat’s stoic demeanor shattered. Her heavy bottom lip quivering as her face scrunched with emotional pain, her tears came stronger as she struggled not to scream out from the pain in her heart. She let out her ragged breaths, crying sounds coming out along with them. She already knew that she wouldn’t be able to sleep. 

She spent the night imagining everything that could’ve been with Robbie. The excitement of having a family  _ together _ . The surprise of getting married  _ together.  _ The joy of growing old  _ together.  _ Doing everything and anything  _ together. _ It was all she ever wanted now, to see the look of happiness on his face when he found out he was going to be a father or when she’d walk down the aisle to meet him on their wedding day. By the time morning came, she was certain she had cried herself out, her body was unable to produce anymore tears. 

Jade was the one who woke up, groaning as she lifted herself off from Beck. They had shared the lovers' seat together while Tori and Andre slept on opposite sides of the long couch. She quickly knew everyone else was still asleep from the sound of the snores mixed together to create an annoying harmony. 

She moved to the bathroom, quickly making herself look better before waking up everyone else. She grabbed a pan and a metal spoon from the kitchen, settling herself next to Tori before clashing the two dishes together. Tori yelped as she fell to the ground from the loud noise, each of the boys groggily waking up after her. “Why?” Tori asked, rubbing her ears as she looked at Jade. 

Jade smirked, “I really had to.” She allowed the others to get ready before slipping into Cat’s room, Beck following closely behind her. 

“Cat..” She murmured, sad to see her friend mindlessly staring forward with dried tear streaks down her cheeks. “Did you sleep at all?” 

Cat shook her head, whimpering as she buried her face deeper into his pillow. Her hand gripped the blanket in a tight hold as she tried to fight away her nausea. She really didn’t think she could physically throw up without being in pain, her lack of energy wouldn’t help her at all. 

She gulped the sick feeling down, turning to Jade as she moved closer. She remembered Andre’s words to tell someone if she felt sick, she remembered promising him. “Jadey..” She quivered. 

“Hm?” Jade gently massaged Cat’s back, becoming noticeably concerned when Cat’s face scrunched. “I don’t feel good.” She whimpered, hugging her stomach as she cried with no tears. 

Beck watched from the doorframe, frowning as he watched Jade help Cat lift herself from the bed. From the word of Jade he quickly helped Cat to the bathroom, helping her settle in front of the toilet before Jade took his place. 

Jade crouched next to Cat, rubbing her back to help Cat relax. It was easy for Jade to tell that Cat was trying her best to hold it back, she was taking heavy breaths and gulps as she squeezed her eyes shut tightly. “Cat, c’mon, let it out.” She encouraged, glancing up at Beck while he shrugged.

Cat shook her head, whimpering as she felt her stomach do twists and turns. She was tired of constantly being sick, she hated the feeling of throwing up. The burn, the taste, the smell, the dizziness. It made her entire experience of life so much worse. 

“I’m going to get her a glass of water.” Beck whispered, choosing to give Cat her privacy with Jade. Jade nodded before turning back to Cat, her hand still rubbing circles into her back. “Cat, you’ll feel better.” She murmured, concern filling her voice. 

The sound of worry in Jade’s voice caused Cat to feel even worse, she didn’t have a chance to argue before her body listened to Jade. Tears fell down her cheeks as she hurled into the toilet bowl, sobbing between each break she got. 

Jade frowned as the younger girl sobbed, clearly exhausted from her 5 months of pregnancy so far. She helped Cat by holding back her hair as she patiently waited for the redhead to finish. “It was s-supposed to get better!” Cat cried, resting her head on the cold seat. 

“I’ve never been p-pregnant, I can’t tell you anything about it, Baby girl.” Jade whispered, helping Cat get up from the floor. Beck slowly appeared back into the bathroom with a sad expression. 

“Here.” Beck stated, handing Cat the cup of water which she took gratefully. 

She gulped down the water quickly, shivering at the leftover taste in her mouth. Beck carefully took the cup back, “I think Tori and Andre are just about finished with breakfast by now if you want to wait in the living room.” He gave her a hopeful smile, it faded away once she didn’t smile back. 

“I just want to go to bed..” Cat mumbled, looking down at the floor. Beck frowned but the bags under her eyes were a clear sign that she was clearly tired. Without another word she moved herself back into her bedroom, closing the door but keeping unlocked as she covered herself in darkness. 

The gang sat around the table quietly, all of them concerned for Cat and the baby. Since the funeral, which really was only yesterday, she’d been almost completely cut off from them. And they were in the same building. She kept her replies simple, half the times just saying yes or no. What concerned them the most was that she was hardly taking care of herself and had to be starving by now. Every Time they went in to offer her something to eat she denied it, her face blank as she stared at the ceiling. By the third time they entered they left a plate and a cup on her dresser in case she changed her mind. 

Jade collapsed on the couch next to Beck, letting out a harsh sigh. “This is awful.” Everyone nodded in agreement. 

“If she doesn’t eat anything soon she could hurt the baby at this point.” Tori murmured, resting her head on the armrest of the couch. 

“She didn’t eat anything yesterday either, not even breakfast.” Andre added, still scrolling through the hundreds of files on his phone. 

“Can you blame her? They closed it right in front of her. She’s heart broken.” Jade spoke, staring at the rest of them with a frown. 

Beck shuddered, kicking his feet back as he hugged himself loosely. The memory of Cat trying her best to get to the casket while the workers closed it haunted Beck. “You know how awful I feel for holding her back? She could’ve hurt herself but still, that was true love right there.” 

“You guys saw her with the body, she was-“ 

“I found it!” Andre yelped, cutting off Tori and causing everyone to jump. 

“You found what? A way to scare the poop out of us?” Jade muttered, relaxing back onto the couch. 

“No, it’s something Robbie recorded in the studio a while ago. We'd just graduated and he was going to give it to Cat but bailed, it’s just sat in my files since.” Andre said quickly, staring down at his phone’s screen in disbelief. 

The file was titled ‘ _ Dear Cat’  _ and was only about five minutes at most. It was dated back three years and from what he remembered was a stupid song Robbie had written for Cat. “Robbie was in the studio?” Tori asked, looking at Andre as he left to see Cat. 

“Yeah, he was just experimenting at the time or something.” He called back before dipping into Cat’s pitch black room. 

“Are you awake?” Andre whispered, his hands fumbling against the walls to try and find the light switch. 

His question was answered when he heard a sniffle coming from the back of the room. Once he turned on the light he was met with a somber Cat and a hardly touched plate of strawberries with a half drunk glass of water. She had taken a nibble at most, the plate mostly forgotten. 

“I, uh, found something Robbie made a long time ago. You might want to hear it.” He murmured, handing her his phone carefully. 

She stared down at the phone in blank curiosity, looking back up at him in confusion. “Dear Cat?” She questioned with a whimper. 

“I know, but you know Robbie. He’s cheesy.” Andre murmured, watching as she nervously looked at the phone, contemplating playing it or not. “I just think he’d like for you to hear it now, especially with how hard things have been.” 

Cat nodded shakily before pressing play with a trembling finger. She watched as the timer began, showing that the recording started. 

_ “I just speak into this thing?”  _

_ “Yes, Robbie.”  _

_ “Yeesh, no need to be so grouchy Andre.”  _

__ Andre cringed at the memory, the day at the recording studio filling his memory quickly. He remembered that Robbie had been nervous to do anything, afraid he’d break the microphone or press the wrong button. 

_ “Just say whatever you wanted to say.”  _

_ “Ok, ok… but what if you judge me?”  _

_ “Fine, I’ll cover my ears.”  _

_ “Ok… If you can hear me close your eyes. Okay, he can’t hear me, hopefully.”  _

_ Robbie audibly sighed into the microphone, his hands reaching for his collar anxiously. He played with the neck of his guitar before making sure Andre couldn’t hear him. He clicked his tongue loudly, something Cat learned he did when he was nervous.  _

_ “Hey Cat, I know we’ve both been busy with work and stuff. And it makes me so happy to see you so happy with your music, it makes me feel like the best man in the world. But with your birthday coming up soon I want to make you something special. I thought of hiring a clown but then I remembered that story you told me about your brother getting shot by a clown… I just want to make you happy. I love you, kitty cat. I still can’t believe you chose me, I feel as lucky as cheese.”  _

_ The strings of a song familiar to Cat began to play, his fingers playing the strings of his guitar expertly before he started to sing.  _

__

_ “I think you're swell…”  _

By the time he started to sing Cat had burst into tears, really crying for the first time since the funeral. She let out ugly sobs at the sound of his voice singing the song he wrote for her, her hands covered her face, not wanting Andre to see her. 

_ “And I think you're swell.. _

_ H-happy birthday Cat, I love you so much. No matter what happens, whether you find someone better than me or stay with me, I love, love, love you. Happy birthday, baby.” _

__ Andre watched as Cat hugged her knees, wailing loudly with her grief. He sat there nervously, not knowing whether to comfort her or let her let it out. This was the first time she’d cried this hard since she found out she was pregnant, it honestly scared him. “Lil’ Red…”

Cat shook her head as he tried to get closer to her, only wanting to be alone. She had already tossed the phone on the blanket, her hands covering her face to muffle her cries. There wasn’t a word to explain how she felt listening to the track. It hurt to hear his voice, she never thought she’d be able to hear him sing that song to her ever again and now knowing he recorded it felt like a blessing. 

She felt disgusting knowing she was probably disappointing him wherever he was. She made no proper attempts to take care of herself, something that would scare the poop from Robbie when she’d work herself too hard. She knew she’d really have to turn everything around now and actually try to be ready for their baby for Robbie. She wanted to make him proud. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this there will most definitely be more time skips to get through the pregnancy so I can hopefully start wrapping the story up and start a sequel or get everything into this story!!


	25. Everything Just Might Be Okay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short epilogue to Cat’s pregnancy and her friends.

Andre sighed as he placed his bags down in his home for the first time in 2 months, having spent them taking care of Cat with Jade. They planned on staying until she was full term, but Cat made it clear that she’d be fine on her own for the most part. He knew they’d all still check on her daily in case. 

With a heavy sigh, he relaxed on the couch. Tori ran into the room cheering that he was finally home. “Andre!” She leaped onto the couch next to him, pulling him into a tight hug. 

Andre loosely hugged her back, feeling guilty for not yet breaking up with her. He knew he was basically playing with her feelings now, but everything was going so much better now. “Hey.” He murmured, patting her back softly. 

“You don’t seem happy to be home.” Tori pouted, looking up at him sadly. 

He bit his lip slightly, his brows furrowing as she looked to the side. He wasn’t sure if he really wanted to bring it up. He sighed, he didn’t want to play with her emotions any more. She didn’t deserve that. 

She looked up at him with wide eyes, watching as he opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. “Andre?” 

Andre stared down at her, catching eye contact. When he looked at her he was met with the girl he fell in love with. The ambitious girl with big dreams. It caused his heart to do a leap, making him believe that maybe this could work. He felt his mouth run dry, his hand came up to her cheek, cradling it softly. 

“Baby, can I be honest with you?” He questioned, his thumb rubbing her cheek. 

“Of course, Andre.” She whispered, confusion filling her gaze. 

Andre licked his lips, trying his best to speak properly. “I was having doubts about us.” Tori’s jaw quickly dropped and she was quick to speak but Andre quickly shushed her. “But I really want to give us a chance. I want to try with you.” 

Tori felt at ease that he still wanted this relationship but was still nervous that he’d leave. She knew she had promised Robbie that she would try her best to be a better friend for him, and that meant to everyone. “O-okay, please let me know how to make this work. I’m tired of being the bad guy.” 

“Can you please calm down from music, take a break. I want to spend time with you, and not just in the studio.” Andre murmured, his hand running through her hair. 

Tori was about to speak against it before nodding slowly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t think about how you felt.” 

“But that’s why we’re trying harder now, right?” 

“Yeah.” 

It took Jade a lot more convincing than Andre to finally leave Cat’s home, it took Beck basically dragging her from the house in order to go to their home. As much worry as she had for Cat, she was happy to finally have alone time with Beck. Especially after he showed that he was sorry by trying his best to help Cat over the past month. She could even tell that Cat was starting to become annoyed by him. 

“You wanna go out tonight?” Beck questioned, drying his hair with a white towel. 

Water dripped from his bare chest making it clear that he’d just gotten out from the shower. His jeans sat right at his waistband, his hips peeking from the fabric. 

“What for?” Jade asked, sitting on their bed while reading one of her favorite scary novels. 

“Nothing, just because I guess.” He smiled, causing her to roll her eyes. 

“You’re so stupid.”

“But you love me.” 

“Doesn’t stop you from being an idiot.”

“I’m your idiot- ow!” 

Cat opened the door to her apartment, placing her keys down on her table as she walked into the kitchen. She had just come home from another appointment that she had to insist multiple times she could do alone. She loved her friends dearly, but she was also an adult. While most things hard for her, she didn’t want them to hold her hand. 

Her doctor had told her that she would’ve been able to find out the gender of her baby, but she chose to keep it a surprise. She wasn’t ready to know what she was having. The idea of the pressure of their name being put completely on her worried her. What if Robbie hated that name? What if they hated their name? 

She only had two more months left to choose a name and to really finish preparing for them to come. She carefully stepped into the nursery that she and her friends finished. She needed help to empty the room she and Robbie used for storage and help with decorating the room. Her heart hurt to know that normally couples did it together but her smile returned when she remembered she didn’t have to do it alone. 

It took a lot of time and a lot of tears to empty the room. Cat shed tears at almost every old picture that appeared, the memories flooding her mind. The gang had to convince her to throw away most things she didn’t need, allowing her to keep things that meant the most to her(It was most likely anything that belonged to Robbie)

_“What’s this?” Tori questioned, moving yet another box to the middle of the room._

_Beck wiped the sweat off his brow, placing his paintbrush down to help Tori. The box had a blue sticker, signally that it belonged to Robbie. “Do you need to ask that for every box? There’s no way we’d know that!” Jade snapped from across the room, paint covering her clothes._

_Cat’s head perked, her eyes still puffy from crying at the photo book they found. She sat in a chair in the corner, hugging the book to her chest. The others didn’t want her to be moving or doing anything risky, she had expected to do something but her help really consisted of conversation. She understood their concern for her pregnancy but she felt useless watching them create her dream nursery without her. “I guess you guys can open it.” She murmured from the corner, kicking her feet softly._

_Tori glanced up at Cat concerned, sweat dripping down her face. “Are you sure? We don’t want to invade your lives.” She questioned, only to be met with a smiling Cat who nodded at her. “Go ahead! It’s not like anything bad is in it.” Cat responded, knowing Robbie enough to know anything he wanted to hide for real was most likely in their closet._

_Beck and Tori nodded before crouching down to cut the tape on the box, they carefully unfolded the box. They both became confused at the contents of the box causing everyone else to become confused. “What is it?” Cat asked, lifting herself from her chair which quickly caused her to get a glare from Jade that caused her to sit right back down._

_“It’s just magazines.” Beck murmured, carefully grabbing one to look through the rest of them._

_“Like dirty magazines?” Andre asked, prompting him to get a look from Cat that made him shrug._

_“No, it’s just normal celebrity magazines.” Beck muttered as he quickly ran through each one of the many magazines. There had to be at least 50._

_Tori gasped, quickly slapping Beck on the shoulder. “Look! What do you see that’s the same on each one!” She yelped, pointing at the covers._

_Beck separated a few of them, analyzing the covers quickly. He also gasped when he noticed, “They all have Cat in them!” He gasped, looking how each one either spoke about Cat on the cover or displayed her on the cover._

_“He didn’t-“ Jade murmured, going over to them before bursting out with laughter when she saw it was true, “He did!”_

_Cat covered her face with her hands, her face flushed with embarrassment. She couldn’t believe he bought any type of magazines, never mind just because they had her in it. She was always too embarrassed to see herself on screens and covers even though Robbie loved her. It made her want to laugh and cry at the fact that he bought them behind her back. “I can’t believe him.” She said, muffled from between her palms as she fought off the blush on her face._

She had indeed kept that box, for Robbie’s sake. At least that’s what she told the others, it really was for her own sake. She did cry later that night when her friends left while going through the box. Almost every accomplishment she had ever made was inside the box, and Robbie tried to celebrate each and every one. Even if she denied it, saying it wasn’t important. The box was now in their closet next to the rest of the boxes she kept. 

Her fingers brushed past the small crib as she glanced around the nursery. She was forever grateful for their help, they managed to perfectly include her ideas. Three of the walls were painted a soft white that complemented the other wall, a creamy dark gray. The room had a gentle modern feel, something she felt Robbie would’ve loved. 

Of course she included animals, there were framed minimalistic drawings of animals on the walls. There were also shelves that were covered in stuffed animals, most of them Cat would’ve loved for herself. She kept the room gender neutral in a way that she’d be able to alter it easily by adding more color. 

The rug was a soft gray, one that matched the wall. The furniture in the room was white, this included the crib, the changing table, dresser, and rocking chair. The drawers were filled with clothes everyone gifted her at the surprise baby shower they threw the other week. 

_Cat stepped into Beck and Jade’s home, the darkness confusing her. By now she was able to do more than she used to her, her doctor approving her of being able to do normal things. Her friends still didn’t want her out and about, nervous of the paparazzi and other accidents. She was surprised for Jade to have asked her to drive to her home, especially with Jade being the one who wanted her home the most. “Jade- Ah!”_

_Cat nearly peed herself when the lights came on, revealing everyone hiding in the room. “Surprise!” Almost everyone was there, her favorite producers and songwriters, Trina, Nonna, Jessie, even MawMaw. She had to cover her face with her hands to hide her tears, causing an “Aw!” to spread through the room. She even managed to speak to Sylvia, clearing any bad blood between the two._

_“I don’t hate you.” Sylvia murmured, causing Cat to open her mouth in surprise._

_“But my hair, you hated my hair.” Cat pulled at a lock or her nervously, staring down at her feet._

_“Of course I don’t like your hair, it’s red.” She responded, crossing her arms. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t like you.”_

_“But it’s my fault he’s g-gone.” Cat whimpered, tears filling her eyes._

_Sylvia sighed before grabbing Cat’s face between her hands, causing her cheeks to squish. “Don’t be stupid, it’s the dumb trucks fault. Not yours. The brakes failed, not your relationship.” Mawmaw muttered, causing a single tear to roll down Cat’s face._

_“B-but-“_

_“No buts, don’t show me that the dye seeped into your brain. Robbie loved you and your weird red hair, that means I have to too.” Her voice softened as she pulled Cat into an awkward hug, her old person smell filling Cat’s nose._

_Cat whimpered as she hugged back, her arms wrapping around her shoulders. It felt good to be on good terms with his family, glad that just because he was gone, it didn’t mean they didn’t care. “Just raise the kiddo right, I know you can.” Sylvia whispered before pulling back._

_Cat nodded quickly while wiping her tears, sniffling softly. “Maury! Hurry up! We have to catch Jeopardy!” She screeched, reminding Cat of the old times. She giggled as she watched the old lady scurry to find her husband._

_“Can’t you see I’m in the bathroom!” She heard a croaky old male voice call back._

She knew that most of her friends believe she was fine now, and she tried her best to act fine. But she couldn’t deny that there were times where she sobbed just like the first night, and some nights where she simply cried softly. She knew she would never be completely fine, she didn’t even know how that would look like. 

Maybe she was never fine, her brother always freaked her out slightly and her parents didn’t pay lots of attention to her. But Robbie made her feel the closest to normal and now that he wasn’t there she struggled to find that normality. 

Tonight was one of the nights that she felt okay, it was mainly because now she knew her baby was still safe. Her appointment let her know that her baby should come to full term while being healthy. It nearly caused her to cry tears of joy, her hands resting on her bludging baby bump. 

She knew that she’d be met with more challenges as a single mom, the fact that she would soon after to respond to Steven or her Record label and record new music didn’t help much either. Cat smiled to herself softly, twirling a strand of hair between her fingers. Maybe she’d make life work. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end before the sequel, i chose to end the story here for two main reasons 
> 
> \- It felt like a good place before the baby should come and i didn’t want this to have too many chapters 
> 
> -It’s at chapter 25(it would bother me if it wasn’t a multiple of 5, yeah i know that’s just me being picky but yknow) i don’t want to fill it with filler to reach another good number 
> 
> I don’t like it too much, but i’m already starting the next story so don’t worry if you don’t either 🤍🤍🤍


End file.
